Homemade Chicken Enchiladas!

Chicken enchiladas are a family favorite, and it all started when I perfected my own home made recipe! One day when I was wanting to eat something but nothing seemed too appealing. I had some chicken, some onion, some green chiles and remembered that was some of the stuff we used in the chicken tacos at a restaurant I used to work at. I decided to try it but with a twist-I would boil the chicken with the veggies and chicken broth instead of just cooking the meat in a frying pan and adding the veggies. Well the chicken turned out to be amazing! So I decided to try it in enchiladas. Since then I have added to the recipe and really made it great! My friends and family have been asking for the recipe! So I am sharing it on my blog!!

What you will need:
1 can diced green chiles
1 small jar of roasted red bell peppers
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup jarred sliced jalapeños (optional)
2-3 lbs. chicken breast
chicken broth, 2-3 cans
2 packets enchilada sauce (cook as directed)
small tortillas
cheddar jack cheese

Begin to heat 1 can of the chicken broth in a pot.  Add the can of diced green chiles, the jar of red peppers, onion and jalapeños to the broth.  (The jalapeños will make it spicy, so if you don't want the heat omit from the recipe).  Heat until steaming and add chicken breasts. Add enough chicken broth to just cover the chicken.  Put on a lid and cook on medium about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  After about 30 minutes, remove lid and check the liquid and see if the chicken can start to be broken down using a wooden spoon.  Continue to cook (without the lid), stir and break up the chicken until most of the liquid is gone. Remove from heat as it will burn quick once the liquid is gone.

Start the enchilada sauce and cook as directed. I choose to use the McCormick brand enchilada sauce but you can use any type you like. The green chile enchilada sauce is also VERY good! As the sauce cooks, you can get the enchiladas ready. Begin using a large scoop of the chicken and rolling it up in the tortilla. Using a greased glass pan, line the enchiladas up end to end, packing tight.  Once all chicken is gone the sauce will be ready. Pour the sauce over the top, getting in the sides and covering all enchiladas.  If you are making more than one pan you may want to make more sauce. My family likes a lot of sauce so we make a lot.

Last but not least, sprinkle (or pile) on the cheese!! Put in a 375 oven for about 5-7 minutes and you are ready to go! Super yummy and pretty easy!

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Recipe: Hot Dogs Delicious!

This is a recipe my grandma and my mom made, but I like to add a little twist to it!  This is a great hot dog and sauce and I love to add extra super finely chopped veggies so the kids eat it and don't know what they are getting!! Check it out!:

Cook 1/2 Cup chopped onion in 1 tbsp. hot shortening or oil until tender.  Do not let the onions get brown!!  Now stir in one 14 ounce bottle of ketchup, along with 2 tbsp pickle relish (I prefer 3-4 myself) and 1 tbsp each of sugar and vinegar.  I also like to add in a 1/3 cup each of finely chopped green and red bell peppers and carrots. Heat sauce just until warm, then score hot dogs (1 package) and simmer until hotdogs are completely cooked.  This should be about 10 minutes.  Serve in warm or toasted buns!  

I like to serve this with corn on the cob, which I wash, wrap in tin foil, and bbq or bake in the oven.  This makes the corn amazing and makes a great compliment to the Hot Dogs Delicious!  Add some fruit salad and you have a great meal!

Family Cooking Project: Vegetable Kabobs

Getting your kids in the kitchen to help make your snacks or meals is a great way to spend family time together! And when kids help make the food, they are more likely to eat it! One way to encourage eating veggies is to make vegetable kabobs! We got this idea from my daughter's preschool and had to share! They are doing the I am Moving, I am Learning program to promote health and well being in our children! This recipe is from their Health Services Team:

You will need 1 cucumber, 1 Green Pepper and a package of sliced mushrooms.  Also some ranch dressing for dipping!  Other things you will need include Popsicle sticks or skewers, a cutting board or plate, and a butter knife.

Wash all the vegetables, and then slice the cucumber and green pepper. With kids around ages 4 or 5, you can let them cut with close supervision. Be sure to explain that they can only use a knife when you are helping them!! After everything is cut up and ready to go, let your child put the veggie slices on the stick or skewer. Help them if they need, and show them they can make a pattern with the different veggies by alternating which ones they put on.  Serve with the ranch dressing and enjoy!

Ragú Feed Our Kids Well

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To help make sure your kids get the veggies they need (and the meals they love) Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce now has 2 servings of veggies in every half cup!   Available soon in major retailers nationwide, the healthy, great tasting Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional pasta sauce that is already a kitchen staple has a new, naturally thicker recipe.

Healthy, delicious and now with a naturally thicker taste the whole family will love, Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce is a perfect component to pulling together quick and tasty meals during this busy time. And Ragú® wants you to be among the first to try out their great new recipe! To be one of the first to taste Ragú® with 2 servings of veggies in every half-cup visit them on facebook.com/ragusauce for more details.

 "Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a Ragú® prize package in exchange for this post.  No monetary exchange took place."

5 New Slow Cooker Recipes From Betty Crocker!

I am a huge fan of slow cooker dinners!! Nothing beats being able to throw something together, leave it alone and at dinner time, its all ready to go! No cooking for an hour or more, dirtying up pots and pans, spatulas and spoons.  Everything in one dish. To me, this is a very good thing! With a family of 5, the less dishes the better!  So when I got an email from Betty Crocker with 5 new recipes, I was dying to share with my readers!! I know lots of other moms that love slow cooker dinners just as much as I do!! Be sure to go to BettyCrocker.com and sign up for their email updates!!  They also have a recipe/meal finder half way down on their Home Page.  This allows you to put in 3 items you have on hand and it will give you ideas to use in a recipe!! I LOVE it!!!

Now on to the recipes!

Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo Stew
Slow Cooker Root Beer Barbecue Beef Sandwiches
Slow Cooker Meatball and Gravy Sandwiches
Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Slow Cooker Pork Lo Mein

Enjoy!!

Photo from  BettyCrocker.com

Quick And Easy Yummy Snacks!!

Here are some of my favorite recipes from "Food For Tots" by Dr. Janice Woolley, Pediatrician, and Jennifer Pugmire, mom!! (Illustration by Marilyn Taggart!!)


Orange Banana Milk!
For a quick and yummy breakfast drink, place1 2/3 cups milk, 1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate and 1/2 of a medium banana in a blender. Cover and blend until foamy.
SERVE IMMEDIATELY OR THE BANANA WILL MAKE THE DRINK TURN BROWN!!

Breakfast Burritos!
Wrap up breakfast for one, two or a whole crowd!!
Scramble eggs with milk (1 tbsp. of milk for each egg. 1 egg per child; use 2-3 eggs per adult) Be sure to cook eggs thoroughly! Cook chopped ham, sausage links or other meat of your choice. Warm tortillas (whole wheat or flour). Once warmed, you are ready to serve! Put cheese, salsa, tomatoes or other toppings in bowls and serve buffet style! Our family also likes to cook onions and red and green peppers to go in the eggs! It is a great way to get your child to eat their veggies and love it at the same time!!

English Muffin Pizzas!
Everyone loves pizza!! Here is a yummy and healthy one that kids can help make!!
You will need whole wheat english muffins, pizza sauce, grated mozzarella cheese, ham or chicken (cooked and chopped) and other pizza toppings.
Some topping ideas:
chopped red and/or green peppers
chopped onions
pineapple chunks
sliced olives
chopped tomatoes
sliced mushrooms
bacon bits

Slice English muffin in half. Spread pizza sauce on each half. Sprinkle with cheese, meat and other toppings. Broil until cheese is bubbly! Enjoy!!

Homemade Mac N Cheese!
Much healthier than the box stuff!!
Cook 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (8 oz. package) according to the package directions. In a blender, mix 2 cups milk, 2 tbsp white flour, and 2 tbsp melted butter until thoroughly blended. Cook milk mixture in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Mix 2 tsp mustard into the milk mixture, then slowly stir in grated cheese until melted. Remove saucepan from heat. Combine pasta and cheese sauce in a serving bowl and garnish with grated cheese if desired!

What's For Dinner This Week?

This is the start of something great! I've put together a collection of recipes for a yummy dish for each day of the week to help you plan your meals!! Add a couple sides (some of the dishes are really a meal in themselves!) and maybe some kind of bread! Enjoy!!!

Monday: Pollo (Chicken) Fricassee from Puerto Rico from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

* 1 pound chicken drumsticks
* 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
* 1/2 (.18 ounce) packet sazon seasoning
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 5 large red potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
* 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
* 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 cup dry red wine
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 fresh or dried bay leaves

Directions

1. Wash the chicken and pat dry; place into a large bowl. Season with adobo seasoning, sazon seasoning, and salt. Place the legs into a slow cooker, and cover with the potato slices.
2. Puree the red pepper, green pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, wine, cumin, and oregano in a blender. Pour over the chicken and add the bay leaves.
3. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours, until the chicken is easily removed from the bone.

Tuesday:Homemade Pizza Supreme from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• SAUCE:
• 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated onion
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• TOPPINGS:
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 ounces Canadian bacon, diced (optional)
• 1 (3.25 ounce) package sliced pepperoni
• 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 medium green pepper, sliced
• 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
2. Combine sauce ingredients; set aside. Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a 13-in. circle. Transfer to two greased 12-in. pizza pans; build up edges slightly. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Spread with sauce; sprinkle with toppings. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Wednesday: Golden Pork Chops at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 6 pork chops
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed golden mushroom soup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Rinse pork chops, pat dry, and season with seasoned salt and pepper. Place them in a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a separate small bowl, combine the onion, mushrooms and soup. Mix together well and spoon over the chops.
3. Cover, and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake for 15 more minutes. (Note: Time could be less or more depending on the thickness of the chops.) Pork chops are done when their internal temperature has reached 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Thursday: Grilled Hawaiian Chicken and Pineapple Sandwiches at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
• 1 cup Hawaiian style marinade
• 6 pineapple rings
• 6 slices provolone cheese
• 6 onion rolls, split
• 6 tablespoons thousand island salad dressing
• 6 leaves romaine lettuce
• 6 slices tomato

Directions

1. Place the chicken pieces into a large resealable bag and pour in the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
2. Preheat a grill for medium-high heat. When hot, lightly oil the grate. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.
3. Grill the chicken pieces until cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning once. 5 minutes before they are done, place the pineapple rings on the grill and cook for a couple of minutes per side. Place the pineapple slices on top of the pieces of chicken and top with a slice of cheese. Close the lid to the grill and allow the cheese to melt for a minute. Toast the buns, if desired.
4. To assemble the sandwiches, place the chicken, pineapple and cheese onto the bottom buns. Top with lettuce and tomato. Spread the thousand island dressing onto the top buns and place onto the sandwiches.

Friday: Cheesy Stuffed Lobster at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 4 (6 ounce) raw lobster tails, shelled
• 2 cups crushed buttery round crackers
• 1/2 cup chopped cooked shrimp
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of shrimp soup
• 1 cup milk
• 8 ounces processed cheese food, cubed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, combine the crackers and shrimp. Stir in the melted butter to form a stuffing. Spread on top of the lobster tails and roll from one end of the tail to the other. If the tails are too thick, slice them in half horizontally to make them thinner. Secure the rolls with toothpicks and place in a greased 8 inch square baking dish.
3. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream of shrimp soup, milk and cheese. Cook and stir until cheese has melted. Pour over the stuffed lobster tails. Top with any stuffing mixture that you may have left over.
4. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until sauce is hot and lobster meat is opaque.

Saturday: Steak fajitas at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean steak, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, cut into thin strips
• 1 julienned green bell pepper
• 2 lemons, quartered
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 (12 inch) flour tortillas

Directions

1. Combine the lime juice, ground pepper and cilantro in a shallow dish. Place steak strips into the marinade and refrigerate for two to four hours.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak strips, and fry until cooked to your liking. Remove meat and set aside.
3. Add remaining oil and onions to the skillet. Cook over medium low heat, until translucent, stir in green peppers and steak. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the top and stir. When the green bell peppers are just tender remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the steak fajitas with tortillas and lemon wedges on the side.

Sunday: Slow Cooker ham at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 (8 pound) cured, bone-in picnic ham

Directions

1. Spread about 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar on the bottom of the slow cooker crock. Place the ham flat side down into the slow cooker - you might have to trim it a little to make it fit. Use your hands to rub the remaining brown sugar onto the ham. Cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours.

County Bob's BBQ Sauce Review & Giveaway!!!

One of my favorite foods is barbecue chicken!!! And no barbecue chicken is complete without Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce!! Created by Bob Edson, and now owned by Bob, Terry Edson and Al & Reed Malekovic, the popularity of the sauce continues to grow!! I was dying to try this great product out, so when I was offered the chance to review and do a giveaway with them, I jumped right on it!! And I have to say it was one of the best dinners I have ever cooked!!

Country Bob's has lots of delicious recipes on their website, but I chose to make up something of my own!! I used chicken quarters and seasoned them, then cooked for about 40 minutes then basted with barbecue sauce and rotated until evenly cooked and crispy!! I served it with peaches, corn and garlic toast! The meal was a hit!!! Great food and quality time as a family=my perfect Friday night!!

Check out some of these great recipes at Country Bob's:
Country Bob's Mexican Lasagna
World's Greatest Hamburger
Slow Cooker Barbeque Ribs

Ready to try Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce??
Buy it!

Or Win It!!
Details:

Contest begins November 7, 2009 at 12:00 A.M. PST and closes on Saturday November 14,2009 at 11:59 P.M. PST There will be 2 winners for this contest! Each winner will score a bottle of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce!!

MAIN ENTRY ***THIS IS MANDATORY BEFORE ANY OTHER ENTRY IS CONSIDERED:
Go to Country Bob's and come back and leave a comment telling me which recipe you would like to try with Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce For 1 entry

Be sure I have your email for your entries so I can contact you if you win!

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RT this giveaway on Twitter and leave a comment with the link (must be a follower of both Frugal Family Fun on Twitter and Country Bob's on Twitter for 1 entry. You can tweet: "I just entered the Country Bobs review & giveaway @frugalfamilyfun http://bit.ly/m6jUi Contest ends 11/14" or be creative with your own tweet!! Can Rt 3 times a day

Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link for 5 entries

Add my button to your blog
(grab from right sidebar) and leave me the link for 3 entries

And for 1 more entry, leave me your favorite family dinner dish! Post the recipe if you can for others to share!!

All entries must be received by 11:59 P.M. PST on November 14,2009 to be considered for entry. All entries will be verified and a winner will be chosen from Random.org All winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected! Good luck!