Category: Main Dishes

Katie’s Sheet Pan Fajitas

Do you make resolutions for the new year? I have some goals, but do I categorize them as New Year’s resolutions? No really. When I do, I always fail. It’s a trend that I see repeating in my life.

I recently read an article discussing New Year’s resolutions. As it turns out, a lot of people make them! Only 22% keep them through January and February, but that number falls significantly afterward. Only 1% made it a year.

My list of things to focus on always begins with diet, exercise, and decluttering my house. Like the resolution setters of the survey, I do good for a few months. Old habits slowly creep back into my lifestyle, and I end up right back where I was.

What’s the answer? As I researched this topic, I found that a diary is an excellent way to keep yourself on track. If you slip up, you can look back to see any triggers you can identify.

Another suggestion was to set goals or resolutions together. Having friends working through the same issues can help you stay on track.

A third idea was to break your larger goals down into smaller, more manageable tasks. This could make it easier to stay motivated and progress over time rather than overwhelmed by large goals that seem impossible to achieve.

Eating healthy is a matter of planning on my part. I usually do okay if I take the time to make a menu. It’s those meals that I have no plan for when my choices do not work in my favor. So, my number one goal is to make a menu every week.

Katie’s fajitas are so easy, healthy, and fast that they may often find their way onto my menu. This Tex-Mex meal was on the table with just a few ingredients in very little time. I liked adding the freshness of lime juice and serving it with fresh cilantro, homemade salsa, and guacamole.

This could be served with flour tortillas, corn tortillas, or rice. If you have a goal of healthy meals, rice cauliflower would be a great option.

I’ve picked up my dairy and plan to start small. And I will keep the word “resolution” out of my vocabulary this year. Happy New Year, Y’all!

Print Pin

Katie's Sheet Pan Fajitas

Course Main Course
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken cut into thin slices
  • 1 (1-oz. pkt.) Kinder's Fajita Blend seasoning or 1/4 cup taco seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1/2 large red onion sliced thin
  • 1 red bell pepper seeded and sliced thin
  • 1 green bell pepper seeded and sliced thin
  • 1-2 small zucchini seeds removed and cut to match the size of bell peppers
  • salsa, guacamole, avocados, cheese, pico de gallo, tortillas, rice or riced cauliflower options for serving

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, which the taco seasoning, oil and lime juice together. Add chicken cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour.
  • Remove chicken from refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray two large sheet pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  • At the end of one of the sheet pans, add the vegetables. Add chicken to the other end and to the second pan. Do not overcrowd the pan!
  • Bake until the chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender crisp.
  • Serve as desired with tortillas or in a bowl.

Mallory’s Birria Tacos

A weekly trip to the local Mexican restaurant was always my night out of the kitchen when my children were growing up. We could go out, please everyone, and feed the family relatively inexpensively. We moved around several times during those years, but it was always one of the first restaurants we found in our new hometowns.

Savannah has been in the Atlanta area for a few years now, and she enjoys taking us to some of her favorite restaurants when we are there. One that she has yet to take us to, though, is Siete, the one she raves about with out-of-this-world Birria tacos. I get pictures of these tacos every time she goes, but it hasn’t worked out for me to go with her yet.

However, Savannah has had me craving these Birria tacos that I had never even had. I have searched for recipes for over a year, but there has always been something that keeps me from trying them at home until recently!

It changed when Michelle, a friend, told me about the Birria tacos her daughter had made. The recipe was a simple crock pot meal, and Michelle’s daughter, Mallory, kept telling Michelle how delicious they were. I’ve mentioned that I’m a bit of a food snob, so when I heard how easy the recipe was, I had reservations. But it was too easy not to try. I didn’t have much to lose, so I decided to give it a shot.

Oh my goodness, y’all, this may be the best thing I’ve ever had. This recipe starts with only the best beef roast, a chuck roast. Add two envelopes of convenient and tasty seasonings, along with beef broth, and cook in your crock pot all day! When the roast is falling apart tender, shred it and return the meat to the incredible stew in the crock pot. Then, you assemble the tacos and cook them as the recipe suggests. Serve them with a small bowl of the stew for dipping, and expect to be blown away!

I owe Mallory a big apology for doubting her and a huge thank you for introducing me to this recipe! I’m even considering cooking this for our Christmas Eve dinner. And Christmas Eve dinner can’t be your run-of-the-mill meal if you know what I mean. I want our Christmas Eve meal to be unique, different, and memorable. These tacos are warm and comforting, and I can’t think of anything better for my family, who has spent years enjoying Mexican food together. The Birria tacos check off all of the boxes! Plus, as a bonus, I can enjoy more time with my family rather than in the kitchen!

Print

Mallory's Birria Tacos

Course Main Course
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 3- pounds beef chuck roast
  • 1 large white onion quartered, optional
  • 1 (1-ounce) pkg. Kinder's Carne Asada Mexican Seasoning
  • 1 (1-ounce) McCormick's Au Jus Gravy Mix
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • taco-size flour or corn tortillas
  • shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • fresh cilantro
  • lime wedges

Instructions

  • Add oil to a cast iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Season roast with salt and pepper. Sear roast in hot pan on all sides. Remove to a crock pot.
  • Add onion around the roast. Sprinkle in the Kinder's and McCormick's seasonings. Add broths. Cover and slow cook on LOW for 8 hours.
  • Remove beef from the broth and shred into small pieces.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Dip the tortillas into the liquid mixture in the crock pot. The fat will be on the surface, so you don't need to dip it too far in. Just make sure it's covered good.
  • Top half of the tortilla with shredded beef, onions if desired, cilantro and shredded cheese. Fold over and fry your taco in a non stick skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 2 minutes per side.
  • Serve with a side of the stew to dip your taco in.

Chili Cheese Dog Bake

This Braves season sure makes a girl miss living closer to the game. I grew up north of Atlanta and was raised by a Braves baseball-loving father. We only made it to a few games each season but never missed televised games.

These Braves were so much fun to watch this regular season. I compare my excitement for this season to the magical season of 1991. That was the worst-to-first season. That was the year Deion first played for the Braves and the Atlanta Falcons. The year your daily water cooler conversations were always about John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Greg Olson, Mark Lemke, and so many more from that 1991 Atlanta Braves team.

Savannah is now our family representative. She lives near Atlanta and even enjoys season tickets.

However, no matter where we watch from, our family will all cheer our Atlanta Braves on this postseason!

Here’s a great dinner for those nights you want to get out of the kitchen and in front of the TV. This recipe works with canned chili or any tomato-based chili that you prefer. I use my favorite hot dog chili recipe. I typically make it in bulk and freeze some in 1 or 2-cup size portions.

I look forward to October baseball and hope to be “chopping” all month! GO BRAVES!

Print Pin

Chili Cheese Dog Bake

Course Main Course
Servings 4
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups your favorite chili heated
  • 1 Pillsbury refrigerated classic pizza crust
  • 4 cheddar cheese sticks
  • 4 all-beef hot dogs
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375℉. Spray a 9-inch square pan or dish or a 11 x 7-inch pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
  • Pour hot chili in pan/dish and spread evenly.
  • Unroll dough; cut into 4 strips. Cut 1 cheese stick in half lengthwise; place one half on each side of a hot dog. Wrap one strip os pizza dough around cheese and hot dog, overlapping slightly in center. Repeat with remaining dough, hot dogs and cheese.
  • Place wrapped hot dogs on top of chili. (Chili must be hot.)
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Meanwhile, melt butter and add garlic powder and parsley; stir.
  • Remove hot dogs from oven. Brush butter mixture over the top of each cheese dog. Serve immediately with the chili underneath each hot dog.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

 

I recently started going through everything I have pinned on Pinterest. So many times, I pin something and never think of it again. After years of pinning, I have too many pins and too many boards.  It’s like the rest of my life; I want organization and order. 

While looking through some recipes, I ran across this Chicken Satay that sparked my interest again. I  conveniently had all the ingredients in my panty, so it was on the menu last week. 

The marinade is where all of the flavor begins. I had my chicken marinating early in the morning to soak up all the goodness of these tasty ingredients before I cooked it at dinnertime. It’s a mix of salty sweetness, and the peanut dipping sauce is an old recipe that has been a favorite for a while. 

Although I prefer to grill, we got home late the day it was planned for dinner. So, I opted to bake my chicken instead. It was incredibly juicy and flavorful. The chicken cooks fast, and an instant-read thermometer is good to have on hand so the chicken stays tender and juicy. 

The chicken was great served with Jasmine rice and steamed broccoli!

Print Pin

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Course Main Course
Servings 6
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs sliced into 1 1/2" wide strips by 3 - 5" long
  • chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Marinade:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chili paste such as Sambai Oeiek
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Peanut Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
  • 1/2 tablespoon packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes or chili paste or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 garlic clove smashed into a fine paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • salt to taste

Instructions

Peanut Sauce:

  • Combine peanut butter, brown sugar, vinegar, chili flakes or paste, soy sauce, smashed garlic, oil and salt in a jar fitted with a lid.
  • Shake the jar to mix. Set aside until time to serve with chicken kabobs.

Chicken:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, chili paste, lime juice, fish sauce, ground coriander, ground ginger, garlic powder and ground turmeric and olive oil.
  • Pour marinade into a gallon-size zip top bag, add chicken strips. remove air and seal. Massage the marinade into the chicken to coat. Lay bag flat on a baking sheet and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
  • When ready to cook, soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature while the skewers soak. Thread chicken on skewers, then blot excess marinade on chicken using paper towels.
  • Oven: Heat oven to 350℉. Line two baking pans with parchment paper and divide kabobs between the sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until instant-read thermometer reads 165℉.
  • Grill: Grease outdoor grill and heat on high. Once grill reaches high temperature, add kabobs and reduce the heat to medium. Cover the grill and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until instant-read thermometer reads 165℉.
  • Serve chicken kabobs warm, garnished with chopped fresh cilantro and with peanut sauce.

Crock-Pot Cubed Steak

I have never cared to fry food. That does not mean I do not like fried food. I do enjoy fried chicken or shrimp occasionally. I do not prepare it at home because I’m not too fond of the mess and don’t care for the house smelling of fried food. So, if we get a craving, we go out for it.

I married a hunter, so I had to learn to love venison. At first, I would use ground meat in saucy recipes such as chili or spaghetti. Then over the years, I learned to appreciate that it was not pumped full of chemicals and hormones, and I began eating the backstrap and tenderloin. But, as much as I enjoy venison in its place, I still prefer beef for a juicy steak or hamburger, a tender chuck roast, and cubed steak.

I have tried crock pot cubed steak in numerous ways over my years of cooking. This recipe is hands down the absolute best I have ever tried.

Using locally grown beef that is the freshest around was a plus in this recipe! We recently discovered AAA Meats in Twin City, Georgia. Now, I don’t think I’ll enjoy eating the beef I had previously put in our freezer! AAA Meats offers excellent high-quality, great-tasting beef with no additives! If you are interested in trying locally grown beef give Abb a call at 912-682-3767. Be sure to tell him Amye sent you!  

This recipe is easy and flavorful, and the gravy was terrific over mashed potatoes! For a lower sodium option, choose McCormick’s 30% less sodium brown gravy mix and unsalted Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup. I could not find a low-sodium French onion soup, but you may find it in a store near you.

Print Pin

Crock Pot Cubed Steak

Course Main Course
Author Amye Melton

Equipment

  • Crock Pot

Ingredients

  • 2 medium onions sliced
  • 8 cubed steaks
  • 2 .87-oz. envelope brown gravy mix
  • 1 10.75-oz. can French onion soup
  • 1 10.5-oz. can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup water

Instructions

  • Place one sliced onion in the bottom of crock pot.
  • Salt and pepper cubed steak, to taste. Place four cubed steaks on top of onion layer.
  • Add another layer of onions on top of steak, then all four more steaks.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the brown gravy mix, French onion soup, cream of mushroom soup and water. Pour over steaks.
  • Cover and cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours.