Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken

Crockpot recipes are the best. You can put your food in the slow cooker, leave, and come home to an amazing smelling house and a delicious meal. I especially love this recipe because it takes about 5 minutes to prepare and makes enough food for a few meals. My boyfriend and I like to enjoy this chicken straight out of the crockpot with mashed potatoes. I've also used the leftovers to make toppings for sandwiches, salads, and pizzas! This recipe has definitely made its way into our regular rotation because of its versatility and ease. I hope you love this chicken as much as I do!

Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, 4-6 lbs.

1 tbsp fresh minced garlic

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp steak seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Remove chicken from packaging. Remove any innards from inside chicken. Rinse outside and cavity of bird, then pat dry.

2. Season chicken by spreading the spices evenly across the skin and inside with your hands.

3. Crumple up sheets of aluminum foil into four ping pong size balls and set in bottom of slow cooker. Place chicken on top of aluminum foil. 

4. Turn slow cooker on high and cook for 4-4 1/2 hours. Make sure chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Optional: Use juices at bottom of slow cooker to make gravy and enjoy!

Turkey & Veggie Lasagna Soup

In the winter I can't get enough soup! Besides the fact that soup is the ultimate comfort food I also love it because it's amazing leftover. However, my picky boyfriend "doesn't really like soup." Who doesn't like soup?!? Well, I finally found out that he doesn't like brothy soups, so I had to come up with something hearty that he would enjoy. There was no way I was going to be able to finish a whole bowl of soup by myself. 

So I made a healthy spin on a classic. This recipe uses ground turkey and low fat cheeses to lighten the calories without loosing that yummy classic lasagna flavor. I also snuck in a bunch of veggies in the mix. So yummy, healthy, and perfect for a cold winter day!

Turkey and Veggie Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 lb. ground turkey breast (99% lean)

½ large yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 (14.5 oz.) can Italian-style diced tomatoes

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 medium yellow squash, diced

2 tsp. fresh oregano 

1 tsp. fresh thyme

1 tsp. fresh rosemary

1 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 

2 tsp. salt 

8 lasagna noodles 

4 cups fresh spinach leaves

 

Cheese topping:

8 oz. container part-skim ricotta cheese

½ cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup basil leaves, chopped

½ tsp. salt

Directions:

1. In large fry pan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add turkey and cook until fully cooked, stirring and crumbling frequently.

2. In large kettle, heat remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sautee until onion begins to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.

3. Add broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, zucchini, squash, and all spices. Mix, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes, stirring every 10 or 15 minutes.

4. For cheese topping, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

5. When soup is fully cooked, add the lasagna noodles to the soup. Cut them into bite-sized pieces if you'd like. Cook 9-12 minutes or until noodles are soft. Add the spinach and warm until wilted then ladle into soup bowls and top with a dollop of the ricotta cheese topping. Enjoy!

Maple & Brown Sugar Oat Muffins

Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

3 medium over-ripe bananas, peeled

2 tbsp. butter, melted

2 large eggs

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup pure maple syrup

½ tsp. vanilla extract

¾ cup white whole wheat flour

¾ cup old fashioned oats

¾ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

 

For Brown Sugar Crumble:

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup flour

2 tbsp. butter, melted

 

For maple glaze:

2 tbsp. butter, melted

¼ cup pure maple syrup 

½ cup powdered sugar 

½ tsp. vanilla extract

 

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325.

2. In large mixing bowl mash bananas. Add butter, eggs, sugar, syrup, and vanilla. Stir until well-combined.   

3. In separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Wisk together until incorporated.

4. Gradually add ¼ of dry ingredients at a time to wet ingredients, mixing until combined each time. 

5. In separate bowl, combine sugar, flour and butter for crumble topping. Mix with hands until desired consistency is reached.

6. Pour batter evenly in to greased muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Sprinkle evenly with crumble topping.

7. Bake muffins at 325 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

8. While muffins are baking, make glaze by combining butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until completely dissolved. Sift in powdered sugar and whisk until fully combined. Allow glaze to cool a bit so that it can thicken up (about 8-10 minutes). Give the glaze a quick stir and pour over the banana bread. Allow the glaze to harden before enjoying muffins!

Homemade Cinnamon Apple Sauce

Applesauce makes a great breakfast or snack! And this recipe is completely natural with no sugar added! Tip: use applesauce in baking to add moisture instead of butter or oils.

Homemade Cinnamon Apple Sauce

Ingredients:

1 bag apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 cup water

2 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

1. Place prepared apples in saucepan and add water. Cover and cook on medium heat 30-45 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring about every 10 minutes. 

2. For chunkier consistency, use a potato masher and mash apples to desired consistency. For smoother consistency, use immersion blender or food processor. 

3. Add cinnamon and lemon juice. Enjoy hot and fresh or refrigerate and keep up to 1 week. 

Ground Turkey Lasagna Rolls

Now that Chicago has decided to be extremely cold and stay frigid until spring, I find myself craving warm comfort food. Usually these dishes are super high calorie, so I like to find healthier substitutions. This recipe uses ground turkey instead of greasy pork or beef, skim milk ricotta, and fat free mozz. Each roll is only 260 calories each! Yum! 

Ground Turkey Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients:

32 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

1 lb. Jennie-O Italian Seasoned Lean Ground Turkey

12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 3/4 cup (1 bag) fat free shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. 

2. In large fry pan, cook turkey until browned, stirring occasionally. Once turkey is cooked, remove from heat.  Pour 1/2 container of spaghetti sauce in pan with cooked turkey. Stir until well combined. 

3. Cover bottom of lasagna pan with 1/4 jar of spaghetti sauce, spreading evenly. 

4. Place cooked noodles flat on wax paper. Spread a thin coating of ricotta cheese, covering each noodle. Spoon thin layer of meat mixture over ricotta. Sprinkle small amount of shredded mozzarella over meat mixture. Roll up noodles slowly and place seam sides down in baking dish. 

5. Ladle the remaining 1/4 jar of spaghetti sauce on top of lasagna rolls. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.

6. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until cheese is melty. Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Crumble Banana Bread Muffins

I'm always experimenting with different variations of banana bread. It's a slight obsession. I actually buy bananas just to let them get brown. I love how moist and flavorful my banana bread always turns out. And I just happened to have some apples that needed to be used up. So, I give you this recipe for apple cinnamon banana bread muffins with a delicious cinnamon sugar crumble. This may be my favorite banana bread recipe yet! So delicious and perfect for fall! 

Apple Cinnamon Crumble Banana Bread Muffins

Ingredients:

4 ripe medium bananas, mashed

1/3 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 small or 1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped 

2 tsp. cinnamon

For crumble topping:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

4 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. cinnamon 

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. 

2. In large mixing bowl, combine bananas, butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over mixture. Slowly stir in flour, making sure not to over mix. Fold in apples and cinnamon. 

3. In separate bowl, combine all ingredients for crumble topping. Squish with hands until well combined and crumbly. 

4. Pour batter evenly in to greased muffin pan. (Makes about 14 muffins.) Fill each cup about 2/3 of the way full with batter. Sprinkle crumble topping evenly on top of batter. 

5. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until edges are browned and inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and enjoy!

Skinny Chicken Pot Pie

As the weather gets colder, I always find myself starting to crave more comfort food. Most of the typical comfort food we crave during the colder months is packed with unnecessary fat and calories. Here's my take on a popular classic. My version is packed with flavor, without all the calories. I hope you guys like it!

Skinny Chicken Pot Pie 

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed 

1 cup russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped 

3/4 cup frozen peas

3/4 cup frozen corn

1/2 container (2 cups) chicken broth

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 package puff pastry shells

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and chicken. Cook on medium heat until chicken has browned on all sides, stirring frequently. 

2. Add veggies, broth, and garlic and stir until well combined. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until veggies are tender, stirring every few minutes. 

3. While filling is cooking, bake puff pastry shells according to directions. Remove from oven and set aside. 

4. When veggies are tender, gradually add flour to filling mixture until desired consistency is obtained. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

5. Remove tops of puff pastry shells and transfer to bowls or plates. Spoon 1/4 of filling mixture over each puff pastry shell and enjoy!