Cheesy Bean & Chicken Casserole

Well our little life over here is changing and is changing fast!  We're moving from our cute town home in a week, moving in with Parker's parents and building a house that won't be done until summer.  I'm finishing school and will graduate in May.  My stats class is a beast and has consumed my life.  I haven't cooked/baked as much as I would like lately and I don't think I'll be doing as much I use to until we get settled into our new home.  My poor blog might feel a bit neglected, but I'll do my best to keep up in these crazy next few months!

On another note, this casserole is delicious.  My little boy eats this up!  He'll go through three bowls in one sitting.  It's the perfect lazy day kind of meal and is so easy to make.
I made this in an 8x8 inch pan so if you have a bigger family, double the recipe to fit a 9x13 glass pan.

What you need:

2 cups shredded chicken (I like to cook my chicken in a crock pot with taco seasoning)

1 cup dry basmati rice

1 can red enchilada sauce

1/2 can refried beans

1 cup Monterey cheese (divided)

1/2 can corn

salt & pepper to taste

dried cilantro for garnish 

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, mix together chicken, bean, half the cheese and enchilada sauce.
- Follow directions on package to cook rice.
- When rice is cooked, add it to the mixture.  Add salt & pepper to taste.
- Pour into an 8x8 casserole dish. Top with cheese then the corn and cilantro.
- Cook for 25-30 minutes.

2 Ingredient Banana Bread Muffins

The Six Sisters have done it again!  I couldn't believe how easy these muffins were and I almost wanted to cry when they came out so perfect, because what kind of recipe only has two ingredients and turns out amazing?! I really wasn't expecting these muffins to turn out as good as they did.  I just had to adjust the baking time from the original recipe and bam they were amazing!  Yes, "were" because we ate them up so fast.

A couple of fun facts about me:  I hate bananas.  I hate smoothies with bananas in them, juices, yogurt, you name it.  But I'm obsessed with banana bread.  Oh I could eat up a whole loaf of banana bread like nobody's business.  Also, every time I spell banana I have to stop and sing Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl song to myself just to make sure I'm spelling it right.  I know I'm not the only one out there that does this.

What you need:

4 very ripe bananas

1 box of yellow cake mix

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

- Spray with non cooking spray or line with muffin liners a standard muffin tin 

- In a large bowl, mash bananas up really well then add the cake mix.  Stir for a couple of minutes until mixture turns into sticky dough.

- Fill tins and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Makes 9-12 standard muffins.

You can always add any mix in to the dough before cooking: chocolate chips, nutmeg, blueberries, nuts, cinnamon etc..

A couple of tips:

- When bananas start to go bad on your counter, don't throw them away, freeze them.  They will turn brownish/black in the freezer and that's perfect.  When you're ready to use them, just let them unthaw a little and it's the best way to make banana bread/muffins.  They mash up so well!

- When muffins are starting to look done, take a knife and put it through the middle of a muffin.  If it comes out clean then they're done.  If it comes out sticky and doughy then they need more time.

Soft & Chewy Vanilla Pudding Cookies

I can't just make normal chocolate chip cookies.  Not only do they never turn out (they are so flat I can even get them off the pan) but they just don't taste as good as these.  I have to add instant vanilla pudding mix.  The pudding mix just makes these cookies so soft and chewy and fluffy.  Once you try this recipe, I guarantee you'll never go back to the regular Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe.

What you need:

3/4 cup butter- softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 sugar

1 pkg. of instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- In a bowl, stir together flour and baking soda.  Set aside.

- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar together.

- Add instant vanilla pudding mix and mix well.

- Add in eggs and vanilla and mix.

- Slowly add in flour mixture little by little until the mixture is smooth.  (if mixture is still really wet and doesn't ball, add another 1/2 cup of flour).

- Add chocolate chips.

- With a cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough onto a large non stick baking sheet.  Or roll dough into 1- 1 1/2" balls.  

- Bake for 9-11 minutes.

- Cool and enjoy!

Chicken Fried Rice

This fried rice is one of my new favorite dinners.  It doesn't have that greasy take-out taste that most Chinese places have.  This is a definite must try!

What you need:

3 Tbs butter- divided

1 cup chicken/ham

2 cups rice

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1 clove chopped garlic

1 egg

4-5 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp seasme seeds

- Cook rice and let it chill in the fridge for a couple of hours. (you don't have to chill the rice, but it taste better and doesn't stick as much)

- Cook chicken or ham and set aside.

- Once rice is ready, melt a Tbs of butter in a large skillet.  Add carrots, onions, peas, garlic, salt and pepper.  Sauté for 5 minutes over high heat.  

- Turn heat to medium/high.  Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet and add a Tbs of butter and egg on the other side.  Scramble the egg and mix it in with the rest of the vegetables.

- Add last Tbs of butter and the rice, soy sauce and sesame seeds.  Stir for 3 minutes.

- Serve and enjoy!