The Cowans Cook!

Saturday, March 1, 2025

Honey Lime Enchiladas

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time35 minutes

Total Time50 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup honey (heaping)
2 teaspoons chili powder (Do 1.5 tsp if you have eaters that don't like the spice)
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
12 corn tortillas
1/4 cup lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups shredded mexican cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1 large can of green enchilada sauce (my favorite is macayo's)
1 Tablespoon cooking oil

Instructions

Combine honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic in a large sealed container. Add cooked and shredded chicken and coat thoroughly. Place in refrigerator for at least a few hours.
Mix enchilada sauce and cream in a bowl. Pour about 1/2 cup into the bottom of baking dish. Can use more then 1/2 of cup to cover the whole bottom of the pan evenly. (Use a 9x13 or (2) 9x9 pans)
Prepare tortillas by heating on stove in oil for about 20 seconds on each side. Fill each tortilla with a couple tablespoons of chicken, some cheese, and a tablespoon of sauce. Roll up and place in baking dish, seam side down. Do this until chicken is gone and the pans are full. Cover entirely with enchilada/cream mixture and sprinkle with remaining cheese. (You will most likely have some sauce left over)
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes

From Made it Ate it Loved it - I love Scarlett

Easy

Easy to duplicate

I liked the Corn tortillas

A fun alternative to Liz Wixom's famous Enchiladas

Disneyland Monte Cristo Sandwhich

I love Scarlett who created this copycat recipe. Her family is talented, mom a chef who caters, and Scarlett's birthday parties are over the top amazing and invites an entire class. Certainly a fun recipe from her here:

Ingredients

1 loaf Italian bakery bread
ham slices
provolone cheese slices
turkey slices
Swiss cheese slices
oil (vegetable or olive works great)
toothpicks
1 egg
1 cup flour
raspberry jam
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

Instructions

Grab the loaf of bread and slice it up into about 1 inch pieces of bread. Then on one side add the ham and provolone and the other turkey and swiss. Then put together and grab toothpicks and place them on all 4 corners of the sandwich to hold it together while you fry.
Then grab a skillet and heat up about 1 1/2-2 inches of oil. I used a small skillet for this. Heat up until 350 degrees.
Grab a bowl and add the egg, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and water. Whisk until smooth. Then grab the sandwiches and dip them into the batter. Then fry them. Remove toothpicks. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Then slice and dip in raspberry jam.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

My Olivia loves meatballs so this is a win for her ~

from Two Peas and their Pod

Easy homemade meatballs served over a bed of spaghetti with hearty marinara sauce. This recipe is a family favorite!

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: spaghetti and meatballs

Servings:

Calories: 635kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
Marinara sauce, for serving
1 pound spaghetti
Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, for garnish, if desired
Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, add beef, sausage, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, herbs, eggs, salt, and pepper. Stir together until combined. Roll meat mixture into 2-inch sized meatballs.
In a large, heavy pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add meatballs in batches. Do not crowd. Brown well on bottoms before turning or meatballs will break apart. Continue cooking until browned all over. Remove meatballs to a plate that has been lined with paper towels, as each batch is finished.

Place meatballs on a large baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked all the way through. Remove from oven.
Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente.
While the spaghetti is cooking, put meatballs in a large pot and cover with your favorite marinara sauce. Heat over medium-low heat.
When the spaghetti is done cooking, drain and place in a large serving bowl. Top with meatballs and marinara sauce. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil, if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

Note-we like to use our slow cooker marinara sauce for this recipe, but you can use our Easy Marinara Sauce or store-bought sauce too.

To freeze the sauce, let it cool completely. Pour into freezer-safe containers or jars, leaving an inch of space at the top. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To freeze the meatballs, let them cool and then place in a freezer container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Place the meatballs and sauce in a large pot and reheat over medium heat on the stovetop.

Make fresh spaghetti and serve!

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Most chicken parmesan recipes take tons of effort and a lot longer to prepare. I am so glad that this chicken parmesan recipe is so much easier than that. It tastes like it’s been cooking for a long time, and the seasonings have married beautifully. But in reality, you can easily throw this meal together at the last minute and its perfection.

I love this easy chicken parmesan for many reasons, but the fact that it’s satisfying and delicious are my top reasons. The chicken parm keeps you full and goes lovely with veggies, salads, or even bread.

from Gimmedelicious here - more pics too

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Healthy oven baked chicken parmesan is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with no frying required. This easy method makes the most FLAVORFUL chicken parmesan in under 30 minutes! DOUBLE for a larger family

Prep Time7

Cook Time23

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked, chicken, dinner, easy

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Layla Atik

Equipment

Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts (approx. 1lb.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt

1 egg
1 cup marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (or 4 slices fresh mozzarella)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F. Grease a sheet pan with 2 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 fillets total. Pound to even thickness if desired.
In a shallow bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, salt & pepper. In a small bowl, whisk the egg.
Dip each chicken fillet into the egg mixture then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides well. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes then flip onto the other side and top each chicken with 3-4 tablespoons of marinara sauce and a generous handful of mozzarella cheese (or 1 fresh slice).
Return to the oven and bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through. Brown under broiler for 2-3 minutes if desired.

Nutrition

HOW DO YOU STORE LEFTOVER CHICKEN PARMESAN?

If you end up with leftover chicken parmesan, you can easily save them. Store the chicken in an airtight container and place it in the fridge for up to 4 days. This is a wonderful chicken recipe for meal prepping.

Additionally, you can freeze the baked chicken parmesan too. Again, you will want to store it in a container that is airtight. It will last up to 2 months in the freezer.

To heat up the chicken, you will need to thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight or until it’s defrosted. Then you can warm it in the oven at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until it’s hot. You can also put the breaded chicken parmesan in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot. It warms up fairly quickly, so make sure not to heat it for too long.

This is my dish I made and Ashley Olson came and had a bit - she loved - easy easy and yummy!

We still laugh about it and I'm glad she could enjoy~

Honey Marinade - (chicken / pork)

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard and 1/4 cup each honey, Red-wine vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil. Season with ground pepper.

To store, refrigerate up to 3 weeks.

Pour marinade over 6 pork chops, OR 4 chicken breasts. Refrgerate 1 hour or up to 3 hours, before grilling, baking or panfrying.

Makes 3/4 cup

Other ideas:

drizzle over salad greens such as arugula or watercress

add to shredded red or green cabbage for a sweet-and-sou slaw

Toss with steamed cauliflower or broccoli

Marinate firm tofu before baking or grilling

a yummy honey garlic alternative here looks bomb too

Can I marinate the pork chops for less than or longer than the suggested 4-8 hours? Yes. For best flavor we recommend marinating pork chops for 4-8 hours, which allows the flavors to really come together and be absorbed into the pork. But if you’re short on time you could marinate the pork chops for only a quick 30 minutes. On the other end of the time range, we wouldn’t recommend longer than 10 hours of marinating.
What is the secret to making tender pork chops? The key to a juicy pork chop is to not overcook it. Whole muscle cuts of pork – such as the tenderloin and pork chop – should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145℉. People tend to overcook pork, which leaves it dry, tasteless, and tough. Cooking pork to 145℉ will leave it tender, juicy, and delicious. Also, marinating helps to tenderize pork chops.
How should I store leftovers? Store leftover grilled pork chops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Swiss Chicken

Layer

Chicken breasts

Swiss cheese

cream of chicken soup (2 cans mixed with 1/2 cup water)

2 cups pepperidge farms dressing with 1/3 cup butter

bake uncovered, 350 degrees for 50-60 min. less if using smaller chicken breasts

from Kay Long - Nanny's good pal