Sloppy Joe Bowls

These were sooooo good! Especially if you are craving some comfort food. It may seem super weird to put sloppy joe meat over zoodles, but I promise you it's a perfect match. Now hubby does not eat zoodles, so I put his on a whole wheat bun. Regardless, its delish both ways. Plus you aren't getting all those weird ingredients like you would with the stuff from the can. 

Sloppy Joe Bowls

adapted from Jay's Baking Me Crazy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

2 lbs lean ground beef (grass-fed if Whole30 or Paleo)

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1.5 tsp onion powder

2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup coconut aminos 

1.5 cups homemade ketchup

2 TBS tomato paste

Before you get started, make up your homemade ketchup!

Put your ground beef in a medium sized dutch oven over medium-high heat. (I love my Le Creuset!) Once the meat is mostly browned, toss in your garlic and turn the heat down to medium. Toss in the onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook for about 1-2 more minutes. Add coconut aminos, ketchup and tomato paste. Stir to combine and turn the heat to low. Allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes. 

While your sloppy joe meat is simmering, make up your zoodles. I use a Paderno vegetable spiralizer to make my zoodles. It's amazing. It has several different blades. I've used it on other veggies too, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and parsnips. 

Once your zoodles are ready, top them with the sloppy joe meat and eat!

Enjoy!

Crockpot Pork Carnitas

I won't lie. I googled the word "carnitas". I took French in high school and college so shoot me. I just didn't want to look like an idiot by titling this "pork carnitas" if carnitas meant pork. You feel me? Good. Now that that is out of the way, I did learn that carnitas actually means "little meats" and it's meat that's been braised in oil or lard. I did nothing of the sort here. So I guess I can't technically call these carnitas, but whatever. They are darn good. You are also welcome for the Spanish lesson. 

PS - You can see from the pic below that I used this in Pork Carnitas Bowls with Cilantro Lime Caulirice!

Crockpot Pork Carnitas

adapted from The Recipe Critic

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 8-9 hours

Servings: 10+

Ingredients

4 pound pork shoulder roast

1 TBS chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1.5 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 oranges, juiced

2 limes, juiced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

In the bottom of your crockpot, put the last 4 ingredients. Place your roast down in the crockpot. 

In a small bowl, combine your dry spices. Sprinkle these over the roast. Set the crockpot for 8 hours on low. 

Once it's done, I shred mine right in the crockpot and left it sitting in the juices for another 30-45 minutes on low. 

Now if you really want to be fancy, take the meat out of the crockpot after it's been bathing in those juices in the crockpot for the last 30 minutes and place it on a sheet pan. Put it in the oven under the broiler for about 5 minutes. This will make some of the bits a little crispier. 

Enjoy!

Weekly Menu: January 11-16

It's nice to be back blogging about weekly recipes! I'm finally working day shift which makes a huge difference in my time. I'm awake during the day as opposed to sleeping all day because I worked the night before. I'm not too tired to make dinner or go to the grocery. It's awesome!

As I posted last week, we started the Advocare 24 Day Challenge today. So our meals for the next 24 days will be in line with the plan. It's definitely not as "strict" as Whole30. It's more about making healthy, clean choices. Can't wait for the yummy food we have on the menu this week!

Crockpot Pork Carnitas

Cilantro Lime Caulirice

Sloppy Joe Bowls

Thai Chicken Stir Fry

Overnight Oats

24 Day Challenge

So I've been an distributor for Advocare for probably 9 months now. I really just joined so that I could get the discount on the Spark (which is amazing) and other products that we were using like Rehydrate. This will be our first 24 Day Challenge with them! I attempted one probably about 3 years ago when we first moved here, but I just wasn't committed. Now hubby is on board and we are very excited about doing our first 24 Day Challenge together. I will be posting some really awesome new recipes. Some are Whole30 and/or paleo friendly which is perfect for those of you out there still maintaining that lifestyle. 

If you are wanting to view the products or see what this is all about, please feel free to visit my Advocare page!

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

This was delicious. Very light and fresh! It does have some similarities to Demos' Baked Chicken Soup if you are from the Middle TN area and know what I am talking about. The spices aren't quite the same and if anyone figures that out, please let me know. It was a favorite all around and I will definitely be making it again! Perfect for a cold winter night.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

adapted from multiple recipes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8-10 

Ingredients

4 TBS butter

1/4 cup flour

2 - 26 oz cartons of chicken stock 

4 cups shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken since I was short on time)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 packets of dry Italian dressing mix

2 cups of whole milk

4 TBS lemon juice (1 whole lemon)

3 TBS white wine

4 cups cooked white rice

Directions

Melt 2 TBS butter in a pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and mix until smooth. Slowly pour the stock in while continuously whisking, making sure there are no lumps. Add the chicken, garlic powder and Italian dressing mix. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add in the milk, lemon juice and wine. Stir until well blended. Add the rice and remaining butter, cover and simmer until rice is heated through and butter has melted, about 10 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Mac & Cheese Soup

This was actually pretty good! It's very much like a runny mac & cheese. The original recipe was written very weird and at one point I was afraid that the soup might not turn out okay. I followed the original directions, but I have changed them for you. The way I have written them below makes much more sense then the original. It also contained onion and celery (which I have removed). Frankly, it was just kind of weird in mac & cheese. If you want to try it with the celery and onion just email me and I will send you the original recipe. 

Mac & Cheese Soup

adapted from Cuisine at Home

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Makes: 7 cups

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni

5 TBS unsalted butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp dry mustard

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup fat-free half-and-half

1 cup skim or 2% milk

4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Cook the macaroni according to the package, drain and spray with cool water. 

In a dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Let the mixture cook until it's a light golden color, about 6-7 minutes. 

Warm the milk and half-and-half in the microwave or in a saucepan. Add the milk mixture to the butter mixture slowly while whisking constantly until very smooth.

Slowly whisk in the broth and then the wine. Stir in the nutmeg, mustard and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. 

Add the cheese, one cup at a time and let it melt completely. Stir in the macaroni. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls.

Enjoy!

Chili Mac

I probably should have checked the weather before making this. Today it was 80 degrees! At the end of October! Too hot for me at this time of year. Regardless, this dish was yummy and would be perfect on a cool fall night. I like to top mine with a little shredded sharp cheddar!

Chili Mac

adapted from multiple recipes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

1 1/2 TBS chili powder

1 1/4 tsp cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Kosher salt

14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes, undrained

15 oz can of kidney beans, undrained

8 oz can of tomato sauce

1/2 of a 6 oz can of tomato paste

Directions

In a separate saucepan, boil the macaroni until almost done, about 7-8 minutes.

Cook turkey over medium-high heat and drain. Add back to pan. Put in garlic, chili powder, onion powder and cumin. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients except the macaroni. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Toss in the macaroni and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This was hearty, warming and delicious. I seriously don't think I can eat canned soup again! One tip, make sure that you start sauteing the onion and celery before the carrots. The carrots don't need as much encouragement to become soft as the celery and onion. Next time, I think I am going to cook the chicken in some stock and shred it for the soup. I'm just a big fan of shredded chicken in soup for some reason.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

adapted from multiple recipes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

2 TBS butter

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced carrots

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 - 32 oz carton Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock

16 oz carton chicken broth

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces (approx. 3 breasts)

3 cups egg noodles

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the celery and onion. Cook until soft and translucent. Add in the carrots and garlic. Cook about 3-4 more minutes. 

Pour in the chicken stock and broth. Toss in the chicken, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Throw in the uncooked egg noodles and simmer an additional 10-15 minutes, uncovered. You want the noodles to be soft, but not mushy. Add salt and pepper according to your tastes. I think I added about an 1/8 tsp pepper and 1/4 tsp Kosher salt. I didn't really measure the salt, just sprinkled it in!

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken & Veggies

Sadly, I don't have a picture of my perfect little roasted chicken. As soon as I tried to take it out of the crockpot it fell apart. The chicken was good, but you definitely need to get the seasoning under the skin. I also put my veggies at the bottom with some chicken stock and they were tasty, but scary looking as they had turned kind of brown from the stock. Time called for me to do a crockpot meal, but next time I might just roast the darn thing.

Roasted Chicken & Veggies 

adapted from AllRecipes

Ingredients

2-5 lb whole chicken (I chose 5 so that we would have leftovers)

3 TBS butter, softened

Salt 

Pepper

Salt-free all purpose seasoning

Onion

Whole carrots

Celery

Potatoes

Baby carrots

Directions

Rinse the chicken off. Rub him down with a little butter all over. The butter will harden as you rub him since he is cold. In the cavity, place 2-3 tops of the celery (like the part with the leaves), 1/4-1/2 of an onion and a carrot (unpeeled is fine) that has been quartered. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and all purpose seasoning. Obviously these are just what I like, you can pick any spices you want!

In the bottom of the crockpot, put some peeled and quartered potatoes and baby carrots. If you want to leave these out to cook later, wad up three sheets of aluminum foil into 3-4" balls and place in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the chicken on top of these.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours. 

Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This was very good. The only thing I would complain about is that it was too "gritty". I don't think that I left it in the blender long enough. This would not be my preferred method of pureeing the soup. My suggestion would be a food processor or a immersion blender. I would also probably use just slightly less broccoli. It might have been my fault for putting too much in. Otherwise, it was delicious. Very close to Panera's, but not quite. I may need to visit for a refresher!

Photo from Food Network

Broccoli Cheese Soup

adapted from Food Network

Ingredients 

6 TBS unsalted butter

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups fat free half-and-half

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth 

2 bay leaves

1 tsp Kosher salt 

1/2 tsp ground pepper

4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)

1 1/2 cups chopped matchstick carrots

1 1/4 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese

1 1/4 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish

Directions

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Add the chicken broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes. 

Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you'll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Return to the pot. (Or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.) 

**To reduce cooking time, steam the broccoli and carrots ahead of time so they are tender. Toss them in the pot to warm them and then puree. 

Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese.

Enjoy! 

Tuna Noodle Casserole

One of our favorites. I often make this in the fall or winter on a Sunday. Not sure why it's always Sunday, maybe because it's a comfort meal. To me Sunday = comfort meals. It's so warming and filling. Hubby loves this meal! 

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb package rotini pasta

2 cans (6 oz) chunk light tuna in water, drained

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of celery soup

1 1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp minced garlic

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Breadcrumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350.

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Boil the pasta according to package directions, but take 2 minutes off the cooking time. 

In a large bowl mix together the soups, tuna, cheese, milk, garlic and pepper. Once the pasta is done incorporate it into the soup mixture and coat well. Put the pasta mix in the 9x13 pan and top with breadcrumbs. I usually use enough just to lightly cover the top of the dish. 

Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Potato Soup

So I need to fiddle with this recipe. I got this recipe from a friend and made it a couple of times last winter. I think I fixed it then, but of course did not write down the changes that I made. I think that it has too much Velveeta as written so you might want to add only 1/2 of the block and then add more as needed. I might just do away with it all together. Feel free to fiddle and leave comments, too!

Potato Soup

Ingredients

3 cans Campbell's cream of potato soup

1 can diced potatoes, drained

16 oz block of Velveeta

1 1/2 cans of milk

Directions

Cut Velveeta into 2" cubes. Combine all of the ingredients in a pot and heat over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the cheese is melted. 

Garnish with bacon, cheese or sour cream. 

Enjoy!

Swedish Meatballs

So I tried to do this in the slow cooker, but it did not want to cooperate. The meatballs got too brown and I ended up adding the soups and cream half way through. If I had actually left the house that day I probably would have come home to little brown golf balls in my slow cooker! Another option would be when you prep the night before to just brown the meatballs a little and then put the soups in with it the next morning. Dairy products don't tend to do well long term in the slow cooker so it might be better to add an additional soup to make sure the meatballs are completely covered. Beyond all of this these were so yummy! Perfect fall or winter meal.

Swedish Meatballs

adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

2 TBS cream

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried parsley

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup of cream

1/2 cup of fat-free half-and-half

8oz container of low-fat sour cream

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs with 2 TBS of cream and stir, allowing the crumbs to absorb the cream. Add the turkey, onion powder, egg, salt, pepper and parsley. Mix well and form into golf ball sized meatballs. 

In a skillet over medium heat, brown the meatballs slightly. Transfer the meatballs to the slow cooker. Add the cans of soup and garlic. Put on low for 8 hours.

30 minutes before you are ready to eat add the cream, half-and-half and sour cream to the slow cooker. 

Serve over egg noodles.

Enjoy!

Turkey Chili

I am embarrassed to actually be putting this on here. This is the sort of chili recipe where you are short for time, but need something delicious and easy. Who would have thought that a good chili recipe came from the back of a spice package? Um not me. My sister-in-law was the one that introduced me to this and I have to say it's quite good. Garnishes are a free-for-all, but I like to put Fritos on the bottom and top with chili, cheese (sharp cheddar, please!) and a little sour cream. Now, I put this in the crock pot the last time I made it and it was a little runnier then just sticking it on the stove so just an FYI.

Turkey Chili

adapted from McCormick's

Ingredients

2 lbs lean ground turkey
2 packages McCormick 30% Less Sodium Chili Seasoning Mix
2 - 8oz cans tomato sauce 

1 - 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 - 15oz cans kidney beans, undrained

Directions

Brown the turkey meat and drain off any fat. There shouldn't be much if you are using lean turkey meat. Dump in the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.

Top with your favorite garnishes. See I told you it was easy! Now you have time to make the Sweet Cornbread that I like to serve with this.

Enjoy!