Mighty Meals: Part I

In my last post, I explained how I need a meal plan to keep my family alive. Otherwise, we'd be eating toast every night and I don't think that's nutritionally recommended (unfortunately). 

Here are some of my family's all-time favorite recipes. . . I hope you like them, too!

3-4 boneless chicken breasts {or tenders}
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 - 1 c. cornstarch
2 - 3 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. canola oil



3/4 c. sugar
4 T. ketchup
1/2 c. distilled white vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. garlic salt

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat, then dip into the eggs.

Heat 1/4 c. oil in a large skillet and pan-fry chicken pieces just until slightly browned but not cooked through. Place chicken in a 9 x 13-inch greased baking dish.

Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. Pour evenly over the chicken and stir to coat. Bake chicken for 45 minutes - 1 hour, uncovered. During the baking process, you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.





2 lbs. hamburger
1 can refried beans
15 oz can tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning (or 2-3 T. homemade)
1 - 2 c. cheese, shredded
18-20 homemade hard taco shells
taco toppings

Brown hamburger and then add refried beans, tomato sauce, and seasoning. Spoon mixture into taco shells and place in a 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes or until heated through.

Working with 6 tortillas at a time, wrap in a damp cloth or paper towel and microwave on high until steamed (about 30 seconds). Lay the tortilla on clean surface and coat both sides with cooking spray. Drape over two bars of the oven rack and bake at 375 until crispy (about 7-10 minutes). 

3-4 chicken breasts
1 c. chicken broth
2 c. Caesar dressing, divided
1/4 t. pepper
6 hamburger buns (or rolls)
6 leaves of lettuce

Place chicken, broth, and 1 c. dressing into a greased crock pot and cook on low for 5 hours (or until chicken is tender and shreds easily). 

Transfer chicken to a cutting board and shred. Drain remaining liquid from the crock pot. Return chicken to crock pot and stir in 1 c. dressing. Cook for 15-30 minutes or until hot. Place on buns and top with lettuce.

1/2 - 1 lb hamburger

1 onion

1/2 green bell pepper

1 - 2 t. minced garlic

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1/2 - 1  1/2 c. water (depending on how thick you like it)

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 pkg taco seasoning

.  .  .  . 

taco toppings

tortilla chips

Brown ground beef with onion. Add remaining ingredients and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 60 minutes. Serve with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. 

I'm only going to include a few today so your eyes don't fall out, but I promise to share some more in the future. Please let me know if you try any of these (and what you think!). What are some of YOUR favorite meals? By all means, share them with me! You can never have too many good things to eat, I always say.