The Platefull Blog

Fajita Stuffed Chicken

October 23, 2019~ Main, The Platefull Blog

I make so many variations of stuffed chicken breasts (because, hello, they are easy to make ahead!), but this Fajita Stuffed Chicken is probably my favorite. It’s got my favorite Mexican flavors all rolled into one easy to make dish. I prep this meal ahead on Sundays and roll the stuffed chicken breasts in plastic wrap, to package individually. I then refrigerate for up to 2 days. On the night I plan to serve them, I remove the plastic wrap, place on a baking sheet, and bake. I typically serve these with my Mexican Cauliflower Rice, but if I’m short on time, I love to serve it with Trader Joe’s Mexican Style Roasted Corn with Cotija Cheese. Or even better, serve it with both!

To start prepping this recipe, chop the onion and bell peppers. Dice the pepper jack cheese and measure out the spices and cheddar cheese. Quick prep tip: If you can’t be bothered with mixing up the spices yourself, Penzy’s Fajita Seasoning is a perfect substitution!

Next up, sautés the veggies over medium-high heat until they begin to char. You want that yummy fajita veggie flavor!

Once the veggies are cooked, you will combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, and veggies. My kids are pretty picky about any sort of “spicy” in their food, so I typically mix everything except the pepper jack cheese and stuff their chicken first. Then, I add the pepper jack to the cheese/veggie mixture before stuffing the remaining chicken breasts. Once you’ve stuffed the chicken, sprinkle the top with the spice mixture. Don’t be shy! Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.

When they come out of the oven, they are super ooey-gooey and oh so delicious!

Fajita Stuffed Chicken

Author: Sarah
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 oz pepper jack cheese, cubed

4 oz cream cheese

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

To serve:

Salsa

Sour Cream

Guacamole

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Set out 4 oz of a cream cheese block to soften while you prep the veggies.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the peppers and onions and cook until softened and beginning to char. Remove from the heat.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and pepper jack cheese cubes. Add the veggie mixture and mix to combine well.

Slice a pocket lengthwise in the chicken breast. Stuff with the veggie and cheese mixture. In a small bowl, combine the spices. Generously sprinkle the spices over the stuffed chicken. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve topped with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

Perfect Blueberry Muffins

October 22, 2019~ Baking, Breakfast, The Platefull Blog

On the weekends, we love to make breakfast from scratch. During the week, it’s nothing fancy, but when Saturday morning rolls around, you’ll find me in the kitchen, making muffins, pancakes, eggs, or biscuits. It’s become a tradition in our house and the boys look forward to weekend breakfasts. They usually request pancakes, but anytime I can convince them to stray from their favorite, I make these muffins. They are like a big, fluffy bakery muffin with a crumb topping.

Here’s a couple tips for making these muffins: Let your butter come to room temperature before making the crumb topping. It will mix in to the sugar and flour much more easily. The crumb topping will still seem dry, but don’t worry – sprinkle it on anyway. The batter for these muffins is thick. If it’s so thick that you can’t get the dry ingredients mixed in, add 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp milk. You shouldn’t need any more than that. Here’s a picture of the batter after it’s mixed. You can get an idea of how thick it is by looking at the back of the spoon.

I hope you make these muffins and love them as much as we do!

Perfect Blueberry Muffins

Author: Sarah
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins

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Ingredients

For the muffins

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup extra light olive oil (or vegetable oil)

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

2 cups fresh blueberries

For the crumb topping

1/2 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

1 tsp ground cinnamon

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Grease muffin tin well or line with muffin liners. Lightly spray the top of the muffin pan with cooking spray so that the crumb topping doesn’t stick.

In a large bowl, use a fork to combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, mix the extra light olive oil, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix with the flour mixture, just until flour is moistened, being careful not to over mix. Gently fold in the blueberries. Fill the muffin cups right to the top.

To make crumb topping

Combine brown sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon. Mix with a fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Apple Cider Sangria

October 21, 2019~ Drinks, The Platefull Blog

We are headed to the pumpkin patch for our annual trip to pick out pumpkins to carve. The pumpkin patch we always visit makes their own apple cider and its amazing. All that thought about apple cider inspired me to make this recipe! Why not celebrate our trip to the pumpkin patch with an apple cider drink?! Apple Cider Sangria is perfect for a Halloween party or to serve at Thanksgiving. It’s also a perfect drink by the fire pit with the cool Fall air. Whenever you decide to drink this, I promise you’ll love it! Hint – serve the kids plain apple cider, with some chopped up fruit in their drink and they’ll feel pretty special too. Just be warned – if your kids are like mine, you’ll end up with sticky hands from fishing the fruit out of their cup to eat it. 😉

Apple Cider Sangria

Author: Sarah
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

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1 bottle white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)

2 cups apple cider

1/4 cup bourbon

3 cinnamon sticks

1 orange, sliced

1 apple, diced

1 pear, diced

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Instructions

In a large pitcher, combine the white wine, apple cider, and bourbon. Add the cinnamon sticks, orange, apple, and pear and stir well. Refrigerate until cold. Note: If you plan to make this ahead, take the cinnamon sticks out after a couple hours so it doesn’t get too spiced. To serve, pour into wine glasses and lay a cinnamon stick across the top.

Pear Cranberry Chopped Salad

October 20, 2019~ Salads, Side Dishes, The Platefull Blog

This salad is hands down one of my favorites. I’ve been making it for years and I love it so much that I never change a thing. It’s a great side dish, or to make it a meal, simply add grilled chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken. If you’re not a fan of gorgonzola cheese (like my hubby), swap it out for goat cheese or feta. My favorite balsamic dressings are Marzetti’s Simply Dressed Balsamic and Tessamae’s. If I’m doing Whole 30, I use cranberries sweetened with apple juice, leave the cheese off, and use toasted pecans.

Pear Cranberry Chopped Salad

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

1 pear, chopped

1 avocado, diced

2-3 cups spinach

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup candied pecans

Gorgonzola, to taste

Balsamic dressing

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Instructions

To a medium sized bowl, add the spinach, pear, cranberries, and pecans. Top with the avocado and gorgonzola. Drizzle your favorite balsamic dressing over the top and serve immediately.

Apple Pie Oatmeal

October 19, 2019~ Breakfast, The Platefull Blog

Who doesn’t love apple pie for breakfast?! This has the flavors and warmth of apple pie, but is a much healthier option. It’s the perfect breakfast for these cold mornings and ready in under 10 minutes! Side note – these apples are amazing over vanilla ice cream, topped with warm caramel sauce. Or just as a snack on their own!

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

2 packets plain, unsweetened instant oatmeal

1 Tbsp extra light olive oil

1 apple, peeled and diced

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup chopped pecans

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Instructions

In a small pan over medium heat, put 1 Tbsp of extra light olive oil and the diced apples. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apple is softened, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and stir in the vanilla, until all is well mixed. While the apples are cooking, prepare the oatmeal packets according to instructions. When the oatmeal is cooked, top with the apple mixture and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Serve while still warm.

Chili

October 18, 2019~ Soups, The Platefull Blog

We had about a week of Fall weather and now it’s suddenly gotten as cold as winter, which means its the perfect opportunity to make a warm pot of chili! I love a good chili, ladled over Fritos corn chips, topped with cheese and sour cream. This recipe was born of a lot of trial and error, and I think it’s the perfect chili recipe for a cold Fall day! Whip this up on the next football Saturday and let me know what you think!

Chili

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

1 can (15 oz) pork and beans

1 can (15 oz) Bush’s chili beans

1 can (6 oz) jalapeno salsa

2 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce

1 can (15 oz) petite diced tomatoes

1 pound hamburger

1/2 large onion, chopped

3 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

1/4 tsp oregano

salt and black pepper to taste

Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

Sliced green onion, for serving

Sour cream, for serving

Fritos (or similar) corn chip, for serving

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Instructions

In a soup pot over medium high heat, brown the hamburger and onion. Drain excess fat. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Let the chili simmer for 30 minutes. Serve in soup bowls, topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, Fritos corn chips, and sliced green onion.

Notes

I prefer chili quite thick. If you want a thinner chili, add half to a full can of water, to the consistency you like your chili.

Mediterranean Chicken with Yogurt Dill Sauce

October 18, 2019~ Main, The Platefull Blog

I love the flavors in this recipe if it sits in the fridge for a day or two. I’ve even frozen the chicken, with the onions and spices, then thawed it in the fridge to grill the next day and it worked perfectly! Either way, this is a definite make ahead meal. Mix up the sauce ahead of time too and all that’s left is to grill the meat at dinnertime. I love to serve this recipe with my Loaded Hummus and pita or my Mediterranean Pepper and Olive Salad. Or both!

Mediterranean Chicken with Yogurt Dill Sauce

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

For the chicken:

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

8 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1 medium size red onion, sliced

1 lemon, juiced

5 Tbsp olive oil, divided

Salt and Pepper, to taste

For the Sauce:

1 cup greek yogurt

3/4 cup chopped fresh dill (no stems)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 lemon, juiced

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Instructions

For the chicken

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp olive oil and the juice of 1 lemon. Spread the sliced red onions in the bottom of a large baking dish. Pour the lemon juice/olive oil mixture over the red onions and toss to combine. In another small bowl, combine 3 Tbsp olive oil with the paprika, allspice, nutmeg, and cardamom. Stir in the minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Rub the chicken thighs with the spice mixture and place on top of the onions. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 days, until ready to serve (not longer than 2 days for food safety reasons).

When ready to cook, heat a grill to medium high heat. Place the chicken thighs on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Flip the chicken over, close the lid again, and cook for 5-7 more minutes, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Optional: Place the onion slices on a grill pan and grill with the chicken.

For the Sauce:

Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. This will last fine in the fridge up to 2 days, though you will need to drain off excess liquid that forms on top and give it a good stir.

Pumpkin Fluff

October 17, 2019~ Appetizers, The Platefull Blog

It’s officially pumpkin season! Prepare yourself for all the pumpkin recipes! This one is a super simple crowd pleaser for all ages. I serve it every year at our annual Halloween party because it’s prep ahead and the kiddos love it.

Pumpkin Fluff

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

1 (16 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (5 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Vanilla wafers or graham crackers, for serving

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Instructions

Mix the pumpkin, vanilla pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice together. Fold in the whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with vanilla wafers or graham crackers.

Mediterranean Pepper and Olive Salad

October 17, 2019~ Side Dishes, The Platefull Blog

I’m obviously on a Mediterranean kick! Loaded Hummus yesterday, this salad today, and wait until you try the Mediterranean Chicken with Yogurt Dill Sauce that I’ll be sharing tomorrow! I will say, I’m not a huge fan of chickpeas (unless they are in hummus). However, I do like them in this salad. Though sometimes if I’m not feelin’ the chickpea love, I leave them out. Either way, any time I make a Mediterranean dish, you can bet this is on the menu!

Mediterranean Pepper and Olive Salad

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

3 cups sliced sweet mini-peppers (sliced into rings, seeds discarded)

1/2 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed well

1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

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Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place the sliced peppers in a wide bowl and pour the marinade over the top. Place in the fridge and allow to marinate for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

When ready to serve, use a slotted spoon to remove the pepper rings from the marinade and place in a bowl for serving. Add the garbanzo beans, olives, and feta and toss to combine. If desired, you can spoon a little of the marinade over the salad.

Loaded Hummus

October 16, 2019~ Appetizers, Side Dishes, The Platefull Blog

Looking for a way to kick up out-of-the-container hummus? This recipe is it! So easy to do, and you won’t believe how much better it is than plain hummus! I used garlic hummus from the store in this recipe. Roasted red pepper hummus would be delicious as well. Or, if you’re really feeling domesticated, you could make your own hummus. But in my opinion, with so many great store bought hummus options, what’s the point?

Loaded Hummus

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

1 container garlic hummus

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, sliced (whole would work too)

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup crispy chickpeas

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Olive oil for drizzling

Coarse Sea Salt

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Instructions

Spread the hummus on a platter. In a line, spread the tomatoes, then olives, then crispy chickpeas, then feta. Sprinkle with parsley, a little coarse sea salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with pita bread, pita chips, or crackers.