DCB Recipe #48: Hummus Chicken with Vegetables

This one is quick, easy, and healthy - all requirements for meals at our home. Serve with a sweet potato on the side and you have a complete meal ready in minutes.

Hummus Chicken with Vegetables

1lb. chicken breasts or tenders
Frozen mixed vegetables of your choice (I used a California blend)
Hummus (any brand, any flavor)
Salt
Pepper
Paprika

Place vegetables in the bottom of the deep covered baker. Salt and pepper them really good.

Top with chicken breasts or tenders, which you have seasoned on both sides with salt and pepper.

Spread hummus over the top of the chicken breasts or tenders to cover. Sprinkle with paprika.

Microwave, covered, for 12-18 minutes, until chicken is cooked through (this will vary based on the thickness of your chicken).

Enjoy!

DCB Recipe #47: Spaghetti Squash

We are trying to get creative so that we can increase the amount of veggies that we eat. Now, I have to be up front and warn you that this is by no means a twin to regular spaghetti. It is not going to fool anyone into thinking that it is pasta, but it was very good and even the Rev didn't mind it - I had mine with sautéed mushrooms and marinara sauce, while he mixed his with a half serving of pasta and topped his the same. Bonus: Elise loves squash and zucchini, so no kid battle!

Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash
Seasoning of your choice ( I used salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder)

Cut squash in half and remove seeds and pulp.

Place cut side up in your deep covered baker and season.

Cover and microwave for 9 minutes or until fork tender.

Using a fork, scrape the "spaghetti" strands out of the shell.

Eat as is or top with marinara sauce.

Enjoy!

DCB Recipe #46: Hawaiian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

We have been big fans of lettuce wraps since the first time that we had them at P.F Changs. And since we have made dramatic changes in the way that we eat at our house, I like to try out different ways to cut carbs and calories and use lettuce as a vehicle to get food in our bellies as often as we can. These were yummy! I love that you get protein, fruit and vegetables in each wrap. I served it with a side of Coconut Lime Rice.

 

Hawaiian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1lb. chicken breasts
BBQ seasoning of your choice
1 can corn, drained
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1/3 cup BBQ sauce of your choice
Lettuce cups

Season chicken with BBQ seasoning, place in deep covered baker, and microwave, covered, for 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Shred or chop chicken.

Add, corn, pineapple, and BBQ sauce to chicken in the baker. Stir to combine.

Microwave, uncovered, for 2 minutes.

Serve with lettuce cups.

DCB Recipe #45: Honey Mustard Chicken

Quick, easy, and full of flavor! It doesn't hurt that it had sauce to dip in - that seems to be a major meal requirement for 2 year olds! Make this one in your deep covered baker in the microwave in minutes (or bake in your oven for 30-40 minutes in a 9x13 baking dish if you don't have a baker), add a few sides and dinner is done!

Honey Mustard Chicken

1lb. boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1/2 c. mustard

1/2 c. honey

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. paprika

salt and pepper to taste

 

Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken and set aside. 

 

In a bowl combine honey, mustard, basil, and paprika. 

 

Pour 1/3 of the sauce into the bottom of the baker and top with the chicken. Top with an additional 1/3 of the sauce.

 

Microwave, covered, for 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

 

Serve with remaining sauce.

DCB Recipe #44: Teriyaki Turkey Lettuce Wraps

We are working on getting healthy and limiting carb intake, so lettuce wraps are a perfect fit for us. We used ground turkey since it is less expensive than beef and better for you, but you could also easily substitute chicken breast (just adjust your cooking time to ensure that is cooked through). I think that next time I will add some water chestnuts, shredded carrots, and broccoli. You could also add some crushed red pepper to spice it up. Very quick and super yummy!

 

 

Teriyaki Turkey Lettuce Wraps

 

1lb. ground turkey

1 small can crushed pineapple

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

 

Place turkey in DCB, cover, and microwave 5 minutes. Crumble.

 

Add pineapple, sauce, and any other cooked veggies that you want to add, and stir.

 

Microwave, covered, 2 minutes or until warmed through.

 

Serve with lettuce cups.



DCB Recipe #43: Mexican Sour Cream Rice

A new side for our favorite Skinny Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken Tacos. I modified this recipe to suit our tastes and to create a one dish side using the Deep Covered Baker. It was good, I'll add a little extra taco spice and cilantro next time, but it was very filling and easy to make. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Mexican Sour Cream Rice

1 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup uncooked minute rice
1 cup sour cream
1 can yellow corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (I used 1 tablespoon dried)
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
Optional: 4oz. can of green chiles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (don't skip the preheat since you will be putting a warm baker into the oven, no preheating could cause your baker to crack!)

Place bouillon cube and water in DCB, microwave uncovered for 4 minutes or until water boils.

Remove and stir in rice, cover and let sit 5 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.

Stir in sour cream, corn, beans, seasonings, and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Mix well.

Top with remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Note: If you want a little more spice in this one, add the can of chopped green chiles when you add the sour cream and vegetables.

DCB #42: Roasted Garlic & Herb Pork Tenderloin with Vegetables

3 ingredients and 20 minutes to dinner! This one could not be easier. And it is also very easily customizable to your family's taste - use whatever vegetables and seasoning you like. Add a simple side - we had pasta - and dinner is done, another reason to love my deep covered baker.

Roasted Garlic and Herb Pork Tenderloin with Vegetables

1 bag frozen vegetables of your choice (I used a California blend)
1 pork tenderloin (mine was about 1 1/2lbs)
Roasted Garlic and Herb seasoning blend (I used McCormicks)

Place frozen vegetables in the bottom of the baker, add 2 tablespoons of water.

Season your tenderloin liberally on both sides and place on top of vegetables. Cover and microwave for 12 minutes, pausing to flip the tenderloin over halfway through cooking.

Let pork rest in the baker for another 10 minutes, the pork will keep cooking and come to the appropriate temperature.

DCB Recipe #41: Heinz 57 Pineapple Chicken

We eat a lot of chicken, so if we can find a way to mix it up, we do! The deep covered baker is so great for cooking chicken in a hurry, and really delivers big flavor results. I love that this one uses everyday ingredients to deliver great flavor. This one is versatile, I served it with teriyaki noodles and broccoli, but you could just as easily shred it for great sandwiches.

Heinz 57 Pineapple Chicken

1/4 cup Heinz 57
1/2 cup water
1 8oz can crushed pineapple in juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in a small bowl.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in the baker.

Pour sauce over chicken and microwave, covered, for 8 minutes, or until chicken is done.

DCB Recipe #40: Shepherd's Pie

Its been a while since I shared a recipe for my favorite time saver - the Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker. This one is a recipe from Southern Plate that I modified for the baker. All of the ingredients remain the same, I just modified the cooking times so that the microwave could be used. We really liked it, though the Rev, who needs all crunch and nutritional value completely void in his veggies, would have preferred canned vegetables.

Shepherd's Pie

1lb. ground beef
1 tablespoon dry Italian seasoning
2-3 cups leftover mashed potatoes (I used 2 pouches of instant potatoes)
1 + 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
12 ounce bag frozen vegetable mix (small carrots, not big)
10 ounce can french onion soup
1 packet beef gravy mix (.87 ounces)

Place ground beef in baker, cover. Microwave for 5 minutes or until done. Drain and crumble beef.

Add soup, gravy mix, italian seasoning, and vegetables. Stir to combine. Microwave, covered, for 6 minutes.

While meat mixture is heating, prepare instant potatoes (or your leftover potatoes), adding sour cream and 1 cup of cheese.

When meat mixture is heated through, remove from microwave and spoon potatoes on top, spreading to cover. Top with remaining cheese and microwave uncovered for 4 minutes.

DCB Recipe #39: 2 Point Cake

I threw dinner in the crockpot (cube steak with mushroom gravy) yesterday morning, came home and heated a few side vegetables, then made this cake for dessert in the microwave in only 10 minutes! It was so wonderful to have a great meal AND dessert ready with so little effort. Bonus: This cake is only 2 Weight Watchers points, so if you are cutting back, you can have this cake and eat it, too!

2 Point Cake

Cake mix of your choice
12 oz. can of diet soda

Mix cake mix and soda together until well combined. (I did this right in the baker so as not to dirty a mixing bowl!)

Bake, uncovered, in the microwave for 10-12 minutes (or in a 9x13 pan, in the oven, as directed on the mix box.)

Yield: 16 servings

P.S. I should be counting points, but I'm not, so I added a little frosting to the still warm cake and it was sooo good!

DCB Recipe #38: Meatball Sub Casserole

Here is another easy, delicious casserole made in my Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker. I adapted the recipe from here, halving it so that it would fit in the baker. If you have no baker, click on over to the original recipe and make in a 9x13 casserole.

Meatball Sub Casserole

1/2 loaf of french bread

6oz. light cream cheese, softened

3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 lb. frozen meatballs (aproximately 1/2 of a small bag)

1 3/4 cups spaghetti sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Slice french bread into 1-inch slices and place in deep covered baker.

Mix together cream cheese and Italian seasoning. Spread over french bread.

Chop meatballs and sprinkle over cream cheese mixture.

Pour spaghetti sauce evenly over meatballs. Top with mozzarellla cheese.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is melted.

DCB Recipe #37: Peach Chipotle Chicken

This a recipe for the crockpot that I adapted for the deep covered baker. We enjoyed it with a side of saffron rice and broccoli. Yum!

Peach Chipotle Chicken

4 chicken breasts

Salt and Pepper

18oz. bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce

18oz. jar of peach preserves

Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in the deep covered baker. Cover, and microwave for 9 minutes.

Remove from microwave, drain juice from baker.

Cover chicken with preserves and BBQ sauce. Microwave, covered for an additional 2-3 minutes, until sauce is heated through.

DCB Recipe #36: Cheesy Chicken Monterey

Summer is in full swing here and all of a sudden, we are swamped! Anything that I can make in one dish is a keeper for sure right now! I adapted this recipe from the back of the rice package for the deep covered baker. If you have no baker, original recipe for stovetop is here.

Cheesy Chicken Monterey

1 package Knorr Rice Side - Chicken flavor

1 can (11 oz.) corn, drained

1 can (11 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can Rotel, undrained

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, plus more for garnish

2 cups water

Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, in microwave for 8 minutes.

Add contents of rice pouch and water to the chicken. Stir and cover. Microwave for 10-12 minutes, or until most of the water is evaporated and rice is cooked through.

Add corn, black beans, Rotel, and 1 cup of cheese to the baker. Microwave covered, for 2 minutes. Remove and stir.

Garnish with extra cheese and sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!

DCB Recipe #35: Spicy Chicken Mac

We love spicy and cheesy, so this one is a winner for sure!

Adapted for the Deep Covered Baker from this recipe.

Spicy Chicken Mac

1 (10 ounce) can tomatoes and green chilies, diced (Rotel)

1 1/3 cup water

2 large chicken breasts

Southwest seasoning of your choice

1 (12 ounce) package Velveeta shells and cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

salsa

Sprinkle seasoning liberally over chicken. Place in Deep Covered Baker, cover, and microwave for 8-10 minutes, until cooked through. Remove and chop chicken into bite sized pieces.

To the chicken already in the baker, add macaroni, tomatoes, and water. Mix well.

Cover and microwave 10 to 12 minutes or until macaroni is tender.

Remove and stir in cheese sauce from Velveeta box and sour cream until well blended. Top with shredded cheese, additional sour cream and salsa, if desired.

DCB Recipe #34: Cheesy Italian Chicken Pasta

This deep covered baker recipe was adapted from an online recipe. It was good, but was missing something, maybe some Italian herbs? Anyway, worth a try, next time I'll tweak it just a bit.

Cheesy Italian Chicken Pasta

2 cups chicken broth
Small bottle of Italian dressing
2 cups macaroni, uncooked
Cherry Tomatoes (I omitted, since we don't eat tomatoes)
Broccoli Florets
1lb. Chicken Tenders, cut into bite size pieces
Shredded Italian Cheese blend

Pour chicken broth and half of the bottle of Italian dressing in bottom of baker.

Top with macaroni, tomatoes, broccoli florets, and raw chicken tenders.

Coat chicken with remaining Italian dressing from bottle, put the lid on the baker and microwave for 25-30 minutes.

Then take the lid off and put shredded cheese on top. Replace lid and allow cheese to melt.

DCB Recipe #33: Tex-Mex Beef & Potatoes

Another one dish wonder in my deep covered baker! Of course, as always, you could easily adapt this if you have no DCB. Add a salad and dinner is done!

Tex-Mex Beef & Potatoes

1lb. ground beef

1 red pepper, chopped ( I omitted)

1 onion, chopped

1 pkg. Taco seasoning

1/2 cup water

4 cups frozen southern-style hash browns

1 pkg. (10oz.) frozen corn

1/2lb. (8oz.) Velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Brown beef, peppers, and onions in the DCB, in the microwave, covered for 6 minutes or until cooked through. Crumble.

Stir in taco mix and water. Add potatoes, corn and cheese; mix well. Cover and microwave for 10 minutes.

Remove, stir and microwave, uncovered, 10 min. or until heated through.

DCB Recipe #32: Chicken Parmesan Soup

The original Pampered Chef recipe for Chicken Parmesan Soup is here. I modified the recipe by topping it with cheesy garlic bread instead of the homemade croutons. It was like everything that you love about Chicken Parmesan mixed with the cheesy bread best part of French Onion soup. Yum! You can make this on the stovetop in a regular pot if you don't own a deep covered baker.

Chicken Parmesan Soup

2 tbsp Garlic & Herb Rub (I used McCormick brand)

1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock

2 cups marinara sauce

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained

2 1/2 cups diced, cooked chicken breasts

3 garlic cloves

1 oz fresh Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Frozen Garlic Cheese Bread (I used Pepperidge Farm)

Stir stock, rub, marinara sauce, tomatoes (I subbed crushed, since we don't like chunks), chicken and garlic into baker.

Microwave, covered, on high 11–13 minutes or until soup is hot.

While soup is cooking, prepare frozen garlic cheese bread in oven, as directed on package.

Carefully remove baker from microwave and stir in Parmesan and 1/2 of mozzarella.

Let stand, covered, 2–3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining mozzarella.

Top with cheese bread.

Enjoy!

DCB Recipe #31: Apricot Smokies

I made these to take to a Christmas party and they were so yummy! They'd be perfect for a Super Bowl party.

Apricot Smokies

2 pkgs. of lil' smokies
1 jar of apricot preserves
Brown sugar (1 preserve jar full)

Mix together in Deep Covered Baker. Microwave, covered for 20 minutes.

DCB Recipe #30: Taco Soup

At this busy time of year and with a newborn, any recipe that requires only 1 pot and the ability to open cans is a winner, for sure! Simple enough for a week night, but tasty enough that you could take it to a potluck and no one would ever know that it took just 15 minutes to make.

Taco Soup

1 lb lean ground beef

1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 package taco seasoning mix

1 can (15 ounces) whole kernel corn, undrained

1 can (15 ounces) beans in chili sauce, undrained

1 can Rotel chilis and diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can tomato soup + 1 can of water

Place beef and onion into Deep Covered Baker. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Remove and crumble beef. Cover and return to microwave for 2 minutes.

Remove and drain. Add remaining ingredients, stir thoroughly, and heat 10 minutes until hot.

Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, and grated cheddar cheese.

DCB Recipe #29 : Chili Cornbread Bake

Leftover chili got jazzed up in this cold weather comfort dish!

Chili Cornbread Bake

3 cups of your favorite chili
1 pkg (8.5 oz) corn muffin mix
1 container (8 oz) sour cream
1 egg
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Place chili in Deep Covered Baker. Cover; microwave on High 5 minutes or until hot.

Meanwhile, combine muffin mix, sour cream and egg in a small bowl; mix well. 

Scoop muffin mixture evenly over chili. Spread evenly to edges of baker. 

Microwave, covered, on High 7–9 minutes or until center of cornbread springs back when lightly pressed. 

Sprinkle cheese over cornbread, if desired; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream, if desired.