Main Dishes | Not Just Sunday Dinner

Spinach Artichoke Hasselback Chicken

I am constantly looking for something new to shake up our weeknight meals. I mean, the same ol’ same ol’ is good, or I would not prepare it over and over. It can simply become so humdrum to make and eat.

This Spinach Artichoke Hasselback Chicken is something I will definitely make again. If you are a fan of spinach artichoke dip and you like chicken, this recipe is a win-win!

A few weeks ago, I made the spinach mixture to stuff mushrooms. But I had some leftover filling and stuck it in the freezer. So, while looking for an easy and fast dinner recipe, I remembered seeing this Hasselback idea online. It came together in very little time and was scrumptious! I stuffed the slits with a generous amount of the spinach mixture. You can freeze any extra mixture for later use.

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Spinach Artichoke Hasselback Chicken

Course Main Course

Servings 4

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast blotted with paper towel
Kosher salt and black pepper or seasoning of your choice for chicken
Spinach Artichoke Stuffing
8 ounces full-fat cream cheese room temperature
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or more to taste
1 (8.47-ounce can) artichoke hearts drained and chopped
2-3 cups fresh baby spinach chopped
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese plus additional for topping
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375℉. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or foil and set aside.
Pat chicken dry using a paper towel, Cut slits about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch apart, not cutting all the way through the chicken. Season the chicken inside slits, top and bottom. Place on prepared pan and set aside.
In a large bowl mix the cream cheese, garlic powder, chili flakes, chopped artichoke hearts, chopped spinach, 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. When mixed well, start spooning mixture into the slits in chicken breasts. Top with additional shredded mozzarella.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165℉. Remove from oven and let stand about 5 minutes. Serve.

Notes

Net Carbs: 6.4 g

Protein: 19.9 g

Fat: 27.5 g

Calories: 364

Easy Taquitos

I have this one cousin that does not follow recipes. Melissa is a great cook, but do not expect a recipe from her. She can give you the ingredients, and you can figure it out for yourself, but there will be no hard copy, step-by-step recipe. You might say she measures with her heart. I sometimes find it odd that the same village of ladies raised us. 😂

When she told me how delicious and easy these taquitos were, I had to give them a shot. Greg and I loved them, and my grown children did too. Savannah, Ashley, and Wes have already made them at their own homes.

You can play around with these amounts and even add ingredients to your liking. For example, Savannah changed them up a bit, which was delicious. If you start by adding ingredients sparingly, I don’t see how you could mess these taquitos up.

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Easy Taquitos

Course Main Course

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese room temperature
1 whole rotisserie chicken, meat picked from bones or cooked chicken of your choice
1-2 teaspoons minced garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2-3 tablespoons dry Ranch dressing mix
ground black pepper to taste
salt if needed for taste
diced jalapeno or chopped chipotle pepper with adobo sauce optional
1 cup shredded cheese Cheddar, or a Mexican mix
small corn or flour tortillas
melted butter
salsa optional for serving
sour cream optional for serving

Instructions

Preheat air fryer or oven to 425℉. If you are baking in an oven spray baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Using an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and chicken until combined. Add in any of the seasonings that you choose. Taste for seasoning. Add jalapeños if using. Stir in shredded cheese. .
For corn tortillas, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Heat tortillas in the skillet for a few seconds on each side, in order for them roll without breaking. Remove the tortillas to a foil covered plate to keep them warm.
Place filling in a line along each tortilla. Roll tightly and brush with melted butter. Place seam side down in your air fryer or in a sprayed baking dish.
Bake for 10 - 20 minutes or until slightly browned and crispy.
Delicious with salsa and sour cream.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated. Reheat in oven or air fryer until warmed.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Who is ready for winter? I am! This hot weather is just a little over the top for me! I do not want to be outside longer than I have to be right now.

We are usually grilling a few times a week during the summer. But, unfortunately, it has even been too hot for that lately!

I came across this recipe on Pinterest recently. The blog that Pinterest led me to has a ton of recipes that sound amazing! Check them out at www.rasamalaysia.com.

Since you can never have too many chicken recipes, here’s a delicious indoor recipe. This Cilantro Lime Chicken cooks up pretty fast, so there is no need to heat the kitchen for too long.

This dish is excellent with various sides, or it’s terrific on a fresh green salad. The marinade is loaded with flavor and works well with chicken breasts or thighs. Don’t waste the cilantro stems, though. They have a ton of flavor and work wonderfully in this marinade.

So limit that outdoor activity, use sunscreen when you need to be outside and remember to drink plenty of water. Then double the Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe to reduce time in the hot kitchen!

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Cilantro Lime Chicken

Course Main Course

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds deboned chicken breasts or thighs, skin on or skin off works well
Marinade:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves and stems
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
lime wedges and chopped cilantro leaves to garnish, if desired

Instructions

Whisk oil, garlic, chopped cilantro, lime juice, red chili flakes and salt together. Pour into a large zip top bag.
Place chicken in the zip top bag, seal, removing air. Shake bag, allowing the marinade to cover all of the chicken. Place in refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375℉.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken, skin-side down if cooking with the skin, and cook until browned.
Turn the chicken over. If you have any remaining marinade in bag, pour it over the chicken now. Place the skillet in preheated oven to continue cooking for about 20 minutes. Checking internal chicken temperature and removing when it has reached 165℉.
Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Pour any juices in the pan over the chicken.
Serve immediately with lime wedges and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Jambalaya

Louisiana is one of my favorite places to visit. It’s true, the state is beautiful, but to me, it’s all about the food!

It’s no secret that my favorite cuisine is cajun and creole! They are typically very hearty dishes, packed with flavor! I do not claim to know all the differences between Cajun and Creole. However, I have read that cajun food does not typically have tomatoes. Whereas Creole food typically uses tomatoes and tomato-based sauces. They are both from Louisiana, and I am happy to sit down to a plate of either.

I have been making this jambalaya recipe for about fifteen years, and it has never disappointed me. I often substitute shrimp for chicken. You can adjust the creole seasoning to make it as mild or spicy as you like. When I started making this years ago, the original recipe did not have Rotel added. It is something I started adding a few years ago, but it’s fine without it.

Jambalaya

Course Main Course

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion diced
1 large green bell pepper diced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 pound smoked sausage cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 cups cubed boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 cups uncooked long-grain rice
2 (10.5-ounce)cans French onion soup undiluted
1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth
1 (10-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes undrained
2-3 teaspoons creole seasoning
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley and/or chopped green onions

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉.
In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add onion, green pepper, and celery. Cook, stirring often until vegetables start to sweat.
Add sausage and chicken and cook, stirring often, until chicken browned.
Stir in rice, soup, broth, Rotel, and seasoning.
Cover and bake for 40 minutes, stirring after 30 minutes.
Garnish with chopped parsley and green onion, if desired.

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas with Pickled Onions

Pork Carnitas with Pickled Onions

My current job is the best! Greg and I keep our grandson while his parents teach school. I’ve always heard it’s even better than raising your own kids, and it is most certainly right up there. Maybe it’s said because, at this time in our lives, we know how precious time is. You know just how quickly your kids grew and how fast it seems that we have become old enough to be grandparents!

My grandson is almost nine months old, and although he isn’t walking yet, he can get into everything in that walker of his. He keeps us on our toes, and by the time he leaves each afternoon, the last thing I want to do is think about cooking dinner.

My slow-cooker has become a permanent fixture on my countertop lately. I recently had to purchase a new one that has the option to sear, saute, slow-cook and warm. It is great because I no longer have to use an additional pan. And, as lazy as it sounds, I do not have to wipe down the stove when I need to sear something.

We love these pork carnitas. I usually skip the broiling step. Instead, I pour up the drippings and place the meat back into the slow cooker after I shred it. I like to serve them with all of the suggested toppings. Leftovers make great quesadillas too!

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Course Main Course

Author Amye Melton

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Ingredients

4-5 Pound Boston Butt or Pork Roast excess fat trimmed and cut into chunks
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Large onion peeled and quartered
4 Cloves garlic peeled and minced
2 Teaspoons chili powder
2 Teaspoons ground cumin
2 Teaspoons kosher salt
1 Teaspoon black pepper
2 Teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
1-2 Tablespoons Minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce or more or less to taste
1 Cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lim juice
12 Ounces chicken broth
lime wedges

Instructions

Heat olive oil and sear all sides of the pork chunks. Add meat to the slow cooker.
Add remaining ingredients and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
Remove the pork chunks from the slow cooker to a large baking sheet. Using two fork shred the meat.
Broil the shredded meat just long enough to crisp up some of the edges, if desired.
if desired, removed drippings from slow cooker and thicken on stovetop using a little flour or cornstarch. This is great to dip your tacos into!
Serve the carnitas with flour tortillas, sour cream, diced onions, chopped cilantro, lime wedges & pickled onions, if desired.

Pickled Onions

Course Side Dish

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

1 Medium red onion peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 Cup water
1/4 Cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons fine sea salt
1/4 Teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

Pack onion rings into a jar, set aside.
in a small saucepan combine remaining ingredients. Bring to a gentle boil.
Carefully pour hot mixture over the onions.
Cover and refrigerate. Best used within 3-4 days