Hungry Girl's Crazy Good Taco Meatloaf

If you haven't met Hungry Girl, you need to meet her! She's become a friend of mine (in the kitchen) over the past few years. I've tried a few of her recipes, and they never disappoint. She takes the meals we know and love and provides low fat and healthy recipe substitutions. I signed up for her daily emails and receive recipes to my inbox each morning. I enjoyed this meatloaf recipe, it was very filling and healthy! The only changes I made was adding green chili and increasing the corn to 1 cup. Enjoy!

Crazy Good Taco Meatloaf
Ingredients

1 pound raw extra-lean ground turkey
2 slices of fat-free cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/2 cup canned sweet corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix, dry


Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cook peppers and onions for three minutes over medium heat in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray

In a large bowl, combine onions and peppers with turkey, corn and seasoning mix. Spread half of the mixture evenly into the bottom of the loaf pan (about 9"x5") sprayed with nonstick spray.

Layer the two slices of fat-free cheese on top of the mixture (try to keep slices away from the pan's edges). Evenly top with the remaining meat mixture.

Pour the salsa over the top of the loaf. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Top loaf with shredded cheese. Return loaf to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.

Number of Servings: 6

Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy

One of my favorite ingredient combinations is chocolate and peanut butter. Like most other recipes this month, I found this gem in a recent Taste of Home Magazine. I was so excited when I got the mail yesterday and realized I had a new Taste of Home waiting for me. I brought it in, got out my scissors and went to work. I had a meeting today that I wanted to make some treats for. This is one of the ones I picked. I have to say, they were much better than I expected and received rave reviews at work. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, cubed
1/3 cup 2% milk
2 sleeves butter-flavored crackers (about 80 crackers)
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:
In a saucepan, combine the cracker crumbs, sugars, butter and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 5 minutes longer.
Place a single layer of crackers in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. dish; top with half of crumb mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining crackers.
In a small saucepan, combine the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and peanut butter. Cook and stir until smooth. Pour over crackers. Let stand until set. Yield: 15 servings.

CD Covers

There have been many occasions lately, where I have given CD's to others. Whether they've been gifts or contained pictures from a fun weekend, I've been burning away. I got tired of buying cases for them to go in and I don't like the clear sleeves, so I decided to make my own case. After a few failed attempts, I finally was able to get the case I wanted, and I loved the way they turned out. If you'd like a template for the CD Cover, email me at leah@qfadtampa.org. I'd be happy to send you one.

Materials:
paper cutter
1 piece of card-stock (12x12)
Stickers to decorate

Pineapple Baked Tilapia

One of my favorite gifts from my bridal shower was a book of recipes from all of my family and friends. I adapted this recipe from a recipe from my friend, Breana. Originally the recipe was for chicken, but I forgot to thaw some! So, I decided to make a few changes to the amounts and use it on tilapia. There was a little bit of clean up with this recipe because of the pineapple juices. Nothing too bad, and the taste of the fish is worth it. This is a perfect summer tilapia recipe, light and fresh!
Ingredients:
2 tilapia fillets
8 oz. crushed pineapple
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tbs. lemon juice
1 1/2 tbs. mustard (I used brown)
2 tsp. soy sauce
aluminum foil (2 square pieces)

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Season tilapia with salt and pepper.
3. Place tilapia on one piece of aluminum foil. (one piece on each)
4. Coat tilapia with pineapple mixture.
5. Fold foil around tilapia.
6. Place foil on cookie sheet, ready to bake. (My juices leaked a little, so I recommend using a cookie sheet underneath)
7. Bake on 400 for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes apart. ]
8. Unwrap foil and enjoy.
**I recommend serving it with jasmine rice and pouring remaining pineapple over rice. Delicious!

Wine Bottle Tags

A student of mine gave me a water bottle tag this year and I loved the idea. I decided to copy the design and use it for wine bottles. Who doesn't like a good bottle of wine for a gift? This is a way of putting a card on the bottle, with it looking cute at the same time. Below you will see the materials I used to make the tag.

Directions:
1. Cut a piece of card-stock to 2 inches wide by 6 inches long.
2. Fold the card-stock at the 2 1/2 inch mark (from the top).
3. Cut a piece of scrapbook paper that is 2 1/2 inches long and 2 inches wide.
4. Glue scrapbook paper onto the top of the card-stock. The decorative scrapbook paper should be the same length as the card-stock up to the fold.
5. Using a 1 inch circular punch, punch a circle on top of the scrapbook and card-stock layer. You now have your tag.
6. Decorate your tag as you wish.
** In this example I used a polka-dot punch with layered orange paper. I also attached a flowed using a brad to the upper right corner. You can write a message on the tag, or stamp it with a special message.

I am looking forward to creating many more tags this summer for various special occasions.

Salsa Ranch Chicken Wraps

I've found so many great recipes in my recent Taste of Home magazine, it was totally worth the $3.99 I paid! I chose this recipe because it seemed simple and quick. They were easy to make, but came out a little messy. Next time, I would not use as much salsa to prevent the excess liquid. Also, instead of swiss cheese, I used shredded colby jack because it's what I had at home. My wraps turned more into quesadillas, but they were still delicious. Enjoy!

Salsa Ranch Chicken Wraps
4 ServingsPrep/Total Time: 25 min.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons salsa
4 tablespoons prepared ranch salad dressing
4 tomato basil tortillas (10 inches) (I used spinach)
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each), grilled and cut into strips
12 slices cucumber
8 slices tomato
1/2 cup julienned green pepper
6 slices Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons butter, divided (I used cooking spray to cut calories)

Directions
Spread 1 tablespoon of salsa and 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing over each tortilla. Place the chicken, cucumber, tomato and green pepper down each center; top with 1-1/2 slices of cheese. Fold ends of each tortilla over filling.
In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Place two wraps folded side down in skillet. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining wraps and butter. Yield: 4 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 480 calories, 28 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 71 mg cholesterol, 536 mg sodium, 38 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 20 g protein.

Coconut Crunch Cookies

I love, love, LOVE coconut! When I came across this recipe, I couldn't wait to make it. Best thing was, I had all the ingredients in my kitchen. Thankfully Mother's Day was just around the corner and I was having a party in my classroom, which gave me a perfect opportunity to bake. I made these for the parents, but to my surprise, my students loved them. I thought this recipe was simple to make and the cookies made it to my top 10 list. I didn't make any changes to the recipe, but I did allow the cookies to cool for an hour in the fridge. In order to get a perfectly round cookie, I used a melon scoop. The cookies were a perfect pop in your mouth size. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flaked coconut
1 package (11-1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups finely chopped almonds

Directions
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extracts. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the coconut, chocolate chips and almonds.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: about 4-1/2 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 138 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 17 mg cholesterol, 94 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 fat, 1 starch.

Thank You

I've been making cards for many years now. I love the feeling I get when I receive a card in the mail and love to give that feeling to others. Now that I have a craft room, my motivation to create has increased. I'm excited to share my handmade card ideas on my blog. I will just post pictures, but if you are interested in step by step directions, please email me. I'd be happy to send them to you! I hope these cards will get your creative juices flowing! Happy Card Making!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Trifle

I found a recipe in the new Taste of Home magazine that inspired me to create this recipe. The original recipe was a peanut butter brownie trifle. I thought that the "brownie" part of the trifle sounded a bit too rich and heavy for my liking. So, here is that original recipe merged into my own creation. My family enjoyed this for Mother's Day dessert. Enjoy!

Serves: 10-12
Ingredients:
1 box of chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. (12 oz) Reese's peanut butter chips
1 bag (12 oz) Reese's Peanut Butter cups
4 cups of cold milk
2 pkgs. of instant vanilla pudding mix
2 tbs. creamy peanut butter
1 container (8 oz) Cool Whip

Directions:
1. Prepare chocolate cake mix according to box directions. Add peanut butter chips to the cake batter. Bake according to directions on box. Cool and cut into 1 inch cubes.
2. Prepare pudding mix as directed on box in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, then mix in 2 tbs. peanut butter. Mix until peanut butter is blended into pudding. Then, take 1/2 of the cool whip (4 oz) and fold into pudding mixture. Set in fridge to cool.
3. Cut peanut butter cups into quarters. Set aside.
4. In a trifle bowl place 1/2 of the chocolate cake pieces into the bottom of the trifle bowl. Sprinkle 1/3 of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on top of the cake layer. Then, pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture on top of the cake/candy. Layer the remaining cake pieces onto the pudding mixture, followed by 1/3 of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Pour the remaining pudding mixture onto the top of the 2nd cake layer. Spread the second 1/2 of the Cool Whip on top of the pudding mixture. Top with remaining pieces of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Serve and ENJOY!

Rotini Pasta Bake

Happy Mother's Day! Derek and I were excited to have my family over to our new house for Mother's Day dinner. After spending a long time thinking about what to make, I finally decided on pasta. My brother and father are picky eaters, so it seemed to be the best choice for our Italian family. I used to make this meal all the time because it leaves a lot of leftovers (Derek's lunch for the week)!

45 oz. pasta sauce
15 oz. ricotta cheese
14 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 box of rotini pasta
1/4 cup. grated parmesan cheese
1 lb. ground turkey
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. parsley

Directions:
1. Boil water and cook pasta.
2. While the pasta is cooking, cook the turkey meat. (preheat oven to 350)
3. After the turkey meat is cooked, pour 3/4 of the pasta sauce into a medium saucepan. Add the cooked turkey meat, along with the basil, oregano, and parsley seasoning and stir. Simmer on low for 10 minutes.
4. In a 9x13 glass baking dish, pour 1/2 of the rotini pasta. On top of that layer pour 1/2 of the meat sauce mixture.
5. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and the ricotta cheese. Spread this cheese mixture onto the top of the meat sauce.
6. For the next layer, pour the rest of the rotini pasta on top of the ricotta/mozzarella mixture. Top with the remaining meat sauce mixture.
7. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella over the top of the final layer.
8. Bake (covered with aluminum foil) on 350 for 30 minutes.
9. Heat the leftover pasta sauce and place in a bowl. Allow guests to top their pasta with additional sauce if desired. ENJOY!

Quesadilla Chicken

I originally found this recipe in my new Taste of Home magazine. The recipe is for Chicken Kiev. I renamed this recipe after making some changes and my husband telling me that it tastes like a chicken quesadilla. Below you will find the original recipe. I've written the changes I made in italics.


6 ServingsPrep: 25 min. Cook: 15 min.


Ingredients
1 cup miniature cheese crackers, crushed (I used Cheez-Its)
1-1/2 teaspoons taco seasoning
5 tablespoons butter, softened, divided (Omitted/ Used Egg Beaters)
3 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons canned chopped green chilies (Used El Pinto Green Chili)
2 teaspoons dried minced onion (omitted)
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)


Directions
In a shallow bowl, combine cracker crumbs and taco seasoning; set aside. In another bowl, combine 3 tablespoons butter, cheese, chilies, onion and salt. Shape mixture into six balls.
Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness. Place a butter ball in the center of each. Roll up and secure with toothpicks. In a shallow microwave-safe bowl, melt remaining butter. Dip chicken in butter, then coat evenly with cracker mixture.
Place seam side down in a greased shallow round 3-qt. microwave-safe dish. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 12-14 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and a meat thermometer reads 170°. Discard toothpicks.


CHANGES: I decided to omit the butter to lessen the fat content. I combined cheese, chili, and salt in a bowl and set aside. After chicken was flattened, I scooped some of the mixture into the center of the chicken. I then folded it over and secured it with toothpicks. Instead of dipping chicken in butter, I used Egg Beaters to coat the chicken before coating with cracker mixture. Instead of using the microwave, I baked the chicken for 35 minutes at 350.


Yield: 6 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 183 calories, 14 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 46 mg cholesterol, 511 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 8 g protein.

**I served taco seasoned red potatoes with a sour cream and chive dip with this chicken dish. Take 6 small red potatoes (cubed), one tablespoon of olive oil, and half a packet of taco seasoning. Put all ingredients in a large plastic bag and mix together. Place an even layer on a cookie sheet and bake along side the chicken.

Chicken Delight with Parmesan Basil Potatoes

My friend Brittany told me about a fabulous blog Fly Through Our Window, which is where I found this recipe. I love this blog and I was excited to try my first new recipe in almost a month! What caught my eye was the simplicity of the meal. I changed a few things and added red peppers to the chicken recipe. All of the ingredients worked well together. Overall, it was easy to make, and came out perfect. The veggie and potatoes that I made with it were delicious. I have to say, some of the best I've made. Derek said this recipe would be added to the weekly rotation. The best part of the meal was that there was hardly any clean up.

Chicken Delight *Click on the link for the recipe and step by step directions*

Changes I made: I added bell peppers to the chicken with the squash and zucchini. You will have leftover veggies, save them to add to the potatoes (see below). I also waited to add the mozzarella cheese. I cooked the chicken, then took it out after 35 minutes. I then added the cheese to the top, closed the aluminum foil back up for an additional two minutes. This allowed the cheese to melt just right.

Parmesan Basil Potatoes

6 small red potatoes quartered
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. basil
1 tsp. garlic salt
large plastic bag
cooking spray
*left over zucchini, squash, and peppers*
**If making alone I would cook at 400 for about 20-25 minutes. Since I made it with the chicken, I cooked it at 350 for 35 minutes**
1. Spray cookie sheet or any baking pan that you would like to use with cooking spray.
2. In the large bag place potatoes and remaining vegetables.
3. Add olive oil to the bag mixture. Zip bag and mix well. Everything should be coated with a bit of oil.
4. Add in parmesan, basil, and garlic salt to the bag. Zip and mix well.
5. Spread potatoes and veggies evenly onto greased pan.
6. About half way through cooking, flip veggies and continue baking.
7. ENJOY!

Back in the Kitchen!

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post. I'm happy to say that we are FINALLY moved and situated into our new house and happily married too!! So, now that I have all of my cooking gadgets, I'm back in the kitchen! This is the first week in months that I was able to plan all our meals for the week, make a list and go to the store. Keep an eye out for some scrumptious recipes to come this week.

My new workspace!

Chicken Pot Pie

MUST TRY RECIPE!!!
I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while, tonight I finally remembered to take a picture! This is Derek's favorite weekday meal. He insists that he could have it once a week for the rest of his life and NEVER get sick of it...we will see;) I love this recipe because it's simple to make and provides enough leftovers for a few days. I've opted for a lower carb version, so I do not put a "pot pie" crust on the bottom, just on the top. I've seen a lot of pot pie recipes with an overload of ingredients, and have even attempted a few. After spending hours in the kitchen, I used the ingredients I thought were most important and cut out the others to create this recipe. Overall, the recipe is perfect for my taste, time, and budget! ENJOY!

Ingredients:
1 can of reduced fat crescent rolls
1-1/2 lbs of chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 bag (16oz-20oz) mixed frozen vegetables
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Fill a small-medium pot with water and bring to a boil.
3. Boil chicken on the stove until cooked through (6-8 min).
4. Remove chicken and cut into small pieces.
5. Pour both cans of soup in a glass baking dish (I use a rectangular 7x12).
6. Empty in bag of frozen vegetables on top of soup and mix well.
7. Add chicken to soup and vegetable mixture and stir until chicken is mixed in.
8. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top, as much as you prefer to taste.
9. Open crescent rolls and unroll them without tearing apart. Lay rolls on top of the pot pie mixture.
10. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until rolls are golden brown on top.
ENJOY!!

Feta & Spinach Turkey Burgers

We had ground turkey meat and didn't want chili, meatloaf or a casserole....so turkey burgers it was!! I wanted a different recipe, not just plain old turkey burgers. After a little searching, I found a tasty recipe with great reviews. I made a few changes to make it work for Derek and I. First, I cut the recipe in half because I only had one pound of turkey meat. Next, I added a few dashes of worcestershire and instead of eggs, I used egg beater egg whites. Then I mixed everything together and shaped the burgers. Next, I put the meat in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Since the weather was nasty, the burgers were cooked on a griddle. I was worried that the meat wouldn't stay together, but they cooked well. It took about 15 minutes on the griddle. I added sauteed mushrooms to the top of the burger and served on a toasted whole wheat bun. Sweet potato fries went well with these burgers. The only thing that I would change from next time is adding more feta cheese to the meat mixture. Enjoy!
Here is the recipe from AllRecipes.com:
Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces feta cheese
1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 pounds ground turkey

Directions:
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil grate.
While the grill is preheating, mix together eggs, garlic, feta cheese, spinach, and turkey in a large bowl until well combined; form into 8 patties.
Cook on preheated grill until no longer pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes.

Taco Turkey Meatloaf

I love Mexican food and was in the mood for black beans and rice on the night I made this recipe. I had ground turkey, but not everything I needed to make tacos. So, I decided to create this recipe using the ingredients I had for tacos and a basic meatloaf recipe. I used Sadie's Salsa and El Pinto Green Chili to add to spice things up, which worked perfectly. This recipe took only 30 minutes to make and ended up being a great pairing with black beans and rice. The only changed I would make for the next time is increasing the salsa to 2 tablespoons. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/4lb. Ground Turkey
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup egg beaters (2 eggs)
1 package of Taco Seasoning
1 tbs. Green Chili Sauce
1 tbs. Salsa

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Mix above ingredients (except cheese) in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Place mixture into a loaf pan.
4. Bake for 35 minutes.
5. Take out and add cheese to the top of the loaf. Bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
6. Enjoy

Tilapia and Sweet Potato Fries

Tonight was a big step in my cooking career, I made a meal without a recipe! I've been making sweet potato fries for a while now but I've always used a recipe for cooking fish. Tonight, I wanted to create a healthy recipe with ingredients I already had at home. Overall, I was a quick meal to prepare, inexpensive, and yummy! Derek said the tilapia tasted like fish sticks! The sweet potato fries were the perfect combination of salty and sweet. This dinner will make an appearance again very soon!

Tilapia
Ingredients:
2 pieces of Tilapia
4 Reduced Fat Ritz Crackers
4 Tbs. Egg Beaters
2 Tbs. Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Lightly spray pan with cooking spray.
3. In a plastic bag crush Ritz crackers. Mix in paprika and salt.
4. Dip fish in eggs beaters and coat with cracker mixture on both sides.
5. Place on baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:
2 med. Sweet Potatoes
2 Tbs. Light Cooking Oil
1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/8 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt

Directions:
1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch wedges.
2. Place cut sweet potatoes into an empty bowls.
3. Stir in the oil, spices and salt into the sweet potatoes.
4. Place sweet potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
5. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

Tuna Cakes

Here is another healthy and fabulous recipe for the week from Kraftfoods.com. I was a little apprehensive about this one, but I loved the way it came out. We omitted the carrots because we didn't have any, but I still thought it was great. It was not too fishy and went perfectly with steamed veggies. If you are looking for a filling but healthy meal, this is it!

what you need!
2 cans (6 oz. each) light tuna in water, drained, flaked
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cup water
1 carrot, shredded
1/3 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. CLAUSSEN Sweet Pickle Relish
make it!

1MIX all ingredients. Refrigerate 10 min.

2HEAT large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Use ice cream scoop to add 1/3-cup portions of tuna mixture, in batches, to skillet.

3FLATTEN into patties with back of spatula. Cook 6 min. or until golden brown on both sides, carefully turning patties over after 3 min.

**We cooked our on a griddle to eliminate some calories.

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

With my wedding just around the corner and the house process moving along, I am looking for two things when planning my dinners for the week: affordable and healthy. I went to Kraftfoods.com and found a few recipes that I am excited to try this week. The first one was a great success, it was amazing! I used reduced fat cream cheese, parmesan cheese, ritz crackers, and served the chicken with whole wheat pasta. Those are the only changes from the recipe, other than that we followed it to a T and will make it again!

what you need!
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
6 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 egg
10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)
1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated
make it!
HEAT oven to 375ºF.

MIX cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella and 3 Tbsp. Parmesan until well blended; spread onto chicken breasts. Starting at one short end of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired.

BEAT egg in shallow dish. Mix remaining Parmesan and cracker crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella.

Mexican Chicken

This wonderful recipe came into my life last year. Derek and I were looking for a meal to make for Valentine's last year and we knew just who to call, my soon to be mother in law! This recipe has a few steps to it, but it is absolutely delicious and worth the time. We loved this recipe so much, it has since turned into our "special occasion" meal.

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan grated cheese
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (set aside 1/4 of it for topping)
3 tbs. El Pinto green chili (or any green chili)
1 can black beans (rinsed & drained)
Yellow rice
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Salt to taste
Wax paper
Cooking Spray
Toothpicks

Directions:
1. Mix black beans, green chili, and cheddar cheese in a medium size bowl. Set aside.
2. Butterfly the chicken breasts and pound them out with a meat tenderizer until they are thin. Cover meat with sheet of wax paper to prevent an unwanted mess.
3. Spray a lg, cooking sheet with cooking spray.
4. Bread both sides of the chicken with the parmesan bread crumbs. Use your hands to massage in the bread crumbs, no egg is needed.
5. Scoop 1/4 cup of the bean mixture onto one side of the butterflied chicken. Do this to each piece of chicken and set aside the rest of the bean mixture.
6. Fold over the other side of the chicken breast and secure with toothpicks.
7. Bake chicken for 20 minutes at 350 until cooked through.
8. Take out chicken and spread the remaining bean mixture over the top of each piece of chicken. Put back in the oven for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted.
9. Take toothpicks out and serve with yellow rice.
ENJOY!!

Derek and I use El Pinto green chili.