Chicken Enchilada Soup

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After just a few days of chilly weather, we are ready to pack it in and fully commit to soup season. There is something so comforting about a big bowl of soup or chili waiting on the stove top come dinnertime. We particularly like soups that have enough components in them to count as a complete meal. This chicken enchilada soup is one of our favorites and checks all of those boxes. Ultra comforting and flavorful broth? Yes. Protein from chicken and quinoa? Yes. Loads of veggies? Yes again! This soup is a complete meal all in one bowl and is great for dinner as well as a meal prep recipe for weekday lunches. You can top it with any of your favorite enchilada toppings for a delicious savory and spicy dinner.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

  • Servings: 6
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 A comforting and filling soup that checks off all the boxes for a rounded, complete meal.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 2/3 cup shredded carrots
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbs tomato paste
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 2 tbs taco seasoning
  • 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce
  • 32 oz chicken broth
  • 4 cups packed kale
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and garlic to the pan. Cook until the onions start to become translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste to the pot and cook another 3 minutes.
  2. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and the taco seasoning mix. Add the chicken to the pot and cook for about 3 minutes per side. Make sure that any of the taco seasoning that didn’t end up on the chicken ends up in the pot. Add the pinto beans, quinoa, corn, enchilada sauce, and chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
  3. After the 20 minutes, remove the lid from the pot and remove the two chicken breasts. Add the kale to the pot and cover with the lid. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add the chicken and heavy cream (or half-and-half) back to the pot and cook uncovered another 5-10 minutes. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
  4. Ladle the soup into each of 4-6 bowls and top with your favorite enchilada toppings. We like shredded cheese, scallions, sour cream, or avocado.

Browned Butter Rice Krispies

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You may see this post and think “are they serious? More dessert on Halloween?!” Our short answer is YES! While the kids are out trick or treating, we like to have this easy and elevated dessert for the adults. It is wild how a simple step of browning the butter completely changes the taste of a traditional rice krispie treat. The desserts have a slightly nutty taste that compliments all of the sweet marshmallowy goodness inside. We particularly like that these treats can be made ahead of time so that there is less to prepare on Halloween day.

Browned Butter Rice Krispies

  • Servings: 12 - 16 rice krispies
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An elevated spin on the classic rice krispy treat

Ingredients

  • 5 tbs butter
  • 6 cups plain rice krispies
  • 12 giant puff marshmallows
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

  1. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper and spray on both sides with cooking spray.
  2. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter for 5-7 minutes until it is browned. The butter will initially boil and bubble and then will settle down as it starts to brown. Monitor it closely during this time and lower the heat when it starts to have a nutty aroma.
  3. Add the marshmallows and stir consistently with a spatula until the marshmallows are melted and full incorporated.
  4. Add the vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Turn off the heat.
  5. Stir in the rice krispies until the cereal is fully coated in the marshmallow mix. Pour the mix into the greased baking dish and spread/pat evenly to form a single layer. Let cool and cut into desired shapes. Serve immediately or store in a tightly sealed container and save for later.

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

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One of our favorite childhood memories of Halloween is having a special dinner of mac and cheese and “octopus” hot dogs. We would slam down that dinner and run out the door to start trick or treating. In honor of that tradition, we created this recipe for pumpkin mac and cheese. It is an adult twist on our childhood favorite, made even more festive by serving it in a large pumpkin. The mac and cheese has layers of delicious flavors, from the punch of sharp cheddar and nutty gruyere to the woody flavors of fresh thyme. The star of the show, however, is the pumpkin. We have combined canned pumpkin with some fresh pumpkin that is roasted from the serving vessel for the ultimate savory treat. We serve this family style so that people can nibble on it throughout the night while waiting for trick or treaters.

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

  • Servings: 6-8 medium servings
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  An adult spin on our favorite classic Halloween dinner.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium pumpkin
  • 1 lb orecchiette pasta
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
  • pinch of chili flakes (optional)
  • 2 tbs flour
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 8 oz grated sharp cheddar
  • 4 oz grated gruyere cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Use a sharp knife (or a pumpkin carver) to cut an 8 inch circle into the pumpkin to remove the stem. Scrape the seeds and stringy pulp from the top and out of the pumpkin until the inside is smooth. Discard the pulp and seeds. Use 2 tbs of the olive oil to rub the inside of the pumpkin and inside layer of the stem. Put the pumpkin in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin has started to soften and the outsides are brown. Set the pumpkin aside and reduce the heat in the oven to 400 degrees.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions, about 13 minutes, and drain the pasta after it has finished cooking. Set aside.
  4. Reheat the pot that the pasta was cooking in over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbs olive oil, the onion, and garlic to the pot. Stir and cook until the onions start to become translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the thyme and red pepper places and cook for another minute.
  5. Add the flour and butter to the pot. Whisk well to combine. Let the roux cook for about 2 minutes, or until it starts to become thick and bubbly. Add the pumpkin puree and milk to the pot. Whisk well to combine and let the liquids come to a simmer for about 3 minutes so that the flavors combine. Add the cheese 1 cup at a time, mixing well so that the cheese is melted into the sauce before adding more. Reduce the heat to low and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Use a spoon to gently scrape out some of the pumpkin (1/2 – 3/4 cup) from the inside of the cooked pumpkin. The pumpkin is the serving vessel, so make sure that the side walls of the pumpkin are still thick enough for serving. Add the pumpkin to the sauce and stir to combine. The texture of the pumpkin should be soft as if it were pureed.
  7. Add the pasta to the sauce. Gently toss to coat and put the mac and cheese back into the pumpkin. Cover the top of the pumpkin with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Uncover the foil and gently drape with the cooked pumpkin lid to serve.

Sweet Potato Jalapeno Popper Tacos

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This recipe came to be from a blissful kitchen mix-up when Jamie accidentally bought ingredients for two separate recipes she planned to cook. The original recipe we wanted to make was for sweet potato and pineapple tacos. We knew all of that starchy sweetness needed salt and spice and the first thing that came to mind were the ingredients in bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers. If all of this is sounding a bit weird to you, we get it. It’s a weird sounding recipe!! Trust us when we tell you that somehow it all works. There is a little bit of everything in this recipe – roasted sweet potatoes and pineapple, charred jalapeños and onions, salty thick cut bacon, and a cilantro lime crema. The flavors all meld together to create these deliciously unique tacos that simultaneously taste sweet and bring the heat. This recipe is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon watching football and the perfect way to bring in fall flavors.

Sweet Potato Jalapeno Popper Tacos

  • Servings: 8 tacos
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We love the combination of sweet and spicy in this unique taco recipe.

Ingredients For The Tacos

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, chopped into large bite-sized pieces
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced in half and then quartered lengthwise
  • 2 cups pineapple, chopped into large bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tbs vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 6 slices thick cut bacon
  • 4 jalapenos
  • 8 taco sized tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • cilantro leaves, for garnish
  • 1 lime, cut into segments, for garnish

Ingredients For the Cilantro Lime Crema

  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbs mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup packed cilantro
  • 1 clove garlic
  • juice and zest of 1 lime
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Make the cilantro lime crema. Combine all of the crema ingredients (sour cream – paprika) in a small blender. Blend until the cilantro is evenly distributed in the crema and all of the ingredients are well combined. Season the crema with salt and refrigerate until you are ready to use.
  3. Make the tacos. Combine the first seven taco ingredients (sweet potatoes – coriander) in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
  4. Lay three slices of bacon in the center of each of two large cookie sheets. Divide the sweet potato bowl ingredients around the bacon on each of the two sheets. Spread everything into a single layer and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time, flip the bacon and give everything a toss with a spatula so that all of the ingredients are equally browned. The bacon should be crispy and the sweet potatoes cooked through when you remove them from the oven. Leave the oven on for later use.
  5. While the bacon and sweet potatoes are cooking, turn on a gas burner to medium-high heat. Using tongs, roast the jalapeno peppers on all sides so that they are lightly charred. When the jalapenos are cool enough to handle, remove the stem and seeds, outside charred layer, and roughly chop the remaining peppers. Add them to the sweet potato mix and toss well to incorporate. If you do not have a gas range, you can replicate this step using the broiler of your oven after the sweet potatoes have finished cooking.
  6. Remove the bacon from the cookie sheets and onto paper towel to drain some of the fat, if necessary. Roughly chop the bacon from both cookie sheets and add it to the sweet potato mix. Combine the ingredients from each of the sheets onto one and tent with foil to keep warm until ready to serve.
  7. Lay the taco tortillas on the open cookie sheet in a single layer (as best you can). Sprinkle the cheese evenly over each of the tortillas and put in the oven to warm the tortillas and lightly melt the cheese. Remove the tortillas and assemble the tacos.
  8. Lay an even amount of taco filling onto each of the 8 tortillas. Top each taco with the cilantro lime crema and additional cilantro, if desired. Serve with lime wedges for garnish.

Spinach & Feta Turkey Burgers

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This is the recipe that changed the turkey burger game for us. Let’s face it, turkey burgers are notoriously dry. The meat is so lean that it often doesn’t lend well to grilling unless you incorporate additional fat like in our spicy turkey burger recipe. Instead of adding chicken sausage, we have incorporated feta and spinach to the burgers, which gives them moisture and adds a Mediterranean spin. The saltiness and creaminess from the feta gives a richness and fat to the turkey and the spinach is an added bonus for those trying to sneak in some vegetables for their kids. The result is a burger that can be served over a Greek salad, as a main entrée at a barbeque, or frozen and heated for an easy weeknight meal. We serve ours with sliced avocado and romesco aioli for a burger that is healthy, fresh, and full of flavor.

Spinach and Feta Turkey Burgers

  • Servings: 4
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A staple Mediterranean turkey burger recipe that you will keep coming back to.

Ingredients for the Burgers

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 cup crumbled feta
  • 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 1 avocado, thinly sliced
  • leaf lettuce
  • any of your other favorite burger toppings

Ingredients for the Romesco Aioli

  • 1 roasted red pepper, patted very dry if you’re buying it in a jar
  • 2 tbs slivered almonds
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained from the oil
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Make the romesco sauce (roasted red pepper – mayonnaise) by combining all of the ingredients in a blender. Pulse to chop and then blend completely. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set side or refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. Heat your grill to high, about 500 degrees.
  3. Mix all of the burger ingredients (ground turkey – pepper) in a large bowl until the ingredients are well incorporated.
  4. Form the meat mixture into 4 burger patties. Grill for about 5 minutes per side, or until the meat is completely cooked through.
  5. Serve with sliced avocado and leaf lettuce, or any of your other favorite burger toppings.

Zucchini with Burrata & Garden Herb Gremolata

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Fall is quickly approaching and as the weather starts to chill we are trying to use up our abundance of garden veggies! This dish is simple in preparation but complex with fresh flavors thanks to the incorporation of herbs we grew in our summer garden. We have chosen a gremolata as the “dressing” for this dish, which is an Italian condiment similar to a pesto, but with a chopped consistency and less olive oil involved. It is traditionally used to give some punch to meat dishes but we love how it brightens and livens up this combo of zucchini and burrata. We used a variety of parsley, basil, and thyme and encourage you to use what you have growing at your house when you make this dish. Taste and season as necessary and make sure to use less of the “woody” herbs like thyme and rosemary so that the flavors balance. This dish falls into the “side dishes” category, but really is the star of the show in our book.

Zucchini with Burrata & Garden Herb Gremolata

  • Servings: 6
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  A great way to use up those garden veggies as we head into fall weather.

Ingredients

  • 6 – 8 medium zucchini and yellow summer squash, ends removed and cut in half, lengthwise
  • 2/3 cup fresh garden herbs, stems removed (we used a mix of parsley, basil, and thyme)
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1/3 cup olive oil, divided
  • 1 ball burrata, drained and lightly patted dry
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Toss the sliced zucchini, 1/4 cup olive oil, and salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Lay the zucchini flat side down onto a baking sheet in a single layer and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes depending on how large the squash is. Flip the zucchini after ten minutes (halfway through) to make sure the zucchini are evenly browned. Remove from the oven after 15-20 minutes.
  3. While the zucchini are baking, make the gremolata. Finely chop the fresh herbs and garlic (this can be done by hand or with a food processor) and put them into the bowl that the zucchini was seasoned in. Use the remaining olive oil (about 1 tbs) to lightly coat the herbs. Add the zest of one lemon and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  4. When the zucchini has finished cooking, remove it from the baking sheet and onto a serving platter. Use your hands to break apart the burrata and scatter it amongst the squash. Drizzle with the gremolata and just a touch of olive oil. Serve immediately.

Arugula & Burrata Flatbread

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This flatbread is one of our go-to recipes for summer entertaining or a quick weeknight dinner. With just a few simple ingredients, this recipe bursts with flavor from the creamy burrata, citrusy lemon oil, and fresh basil. We top it with lots of peppery arugula (more than pictured) so that we have a salad and pizza in one. We love how fresh this dish feels for being a flatbread! We have made quite a lot of variations of this flatbread over the last two years. This go round we added chicken to this recipe to make this dish a bit more hearty as a main course, but many times we have made it with artichoke hearts for a vegetarian option. The recipe below includes both so that you can have the best of everything on the flatbread, but you can pick one or the other depending on what kind of dish you’re looking to make.

Arugula & Burrata Flatbread

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One of our favorite flatbread recipes for summer. We love the combination of the creamy burrata, fresh basil, and zesty lemon.

Ingredients

  • 1 package of premade pizza dough
  • 1 chicken breast
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup ricotta
  • 1-2 fresh balls of burrata
  • 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced in half
  • 2 cups arugula
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch basil, chopped finely
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Take the pizza dough out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature. If you are going to bake the pizza in an oven, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and put your pizza pan inside the oven while it pre-heats. If you are using a grill, preheat the grill to high (approximately 500 degrees).
  2. Make the lemon herb oil. Combine the olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, and juice from half the lemon in a small mixing bowl. Mix 1/2 of the lemon oil with the ricotta cheese. Set aside.
  3. Cook the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on all sides. Cook on the grill or oven until cooked through (5 minutes per side on the grill and ~20 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees). Shred or chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.
  4. Toss a light coating of flour on your countertop. Using a rolling pin and some of the flour, roll out the dough into a pizza shape. You do not need to use all of the flour. Use it as needed if the dough is getting sticky.
  5. Place the pizza dough on the hot pan (for oven) or directly on the grill for 3-4 minutes to get the pizza dough crispy on one side. Remove the pizza dough and place is cooked side down on a tray.
  6. Add the pizza toppings. Paint the flatbread with the ricotta. Evenly distribute the chicken and artichoke hearts on the flatbread. Place the flatbread back in the oven or on the grill for 5-7 minutes until the dough is completely cooked through and the cheese is melted.
  7. Add the to the top of the pizza. Use the remaining lemon oil to toss with the arugula and basil. Sprinkle the arugula and basil over the top of the flatbread and top with a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot!

Instant Pot Hatch Chili Shredded Chicken

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We love a quick and easy taco night as a tasty way to get dinner on the table. Hatch chiles are in season in Colorado and we try our best to use them as much as we can this time of year and really soak up the smoky, spicy flavor they bring to a dish. We love to buy them pre-roasted at the farmers’ market but if you can’t do that, you can repeat that step yourself by buying them at the grocery store and broiling them in the oven. This shredded chicken comes together with the help of the roasted hatch chiles, our favorite salsa, and some sautéed onions and garlic. It is simple but incredibly tasty. You can use the chicken for tacos, enchiladas, or even as a meal prep recipe for salads and sandwiches throughout the week. Using the Instant Pot ensures this recipe is ready in under 40 minutes and makes very little mess in the kitchen, both great attributes of a weeknight recipe!

Instant Pot Hatch Chili Shredded Chicken

  • Servings: 6
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 A quick and easy recipe for delicious shredded chicken. We love to use this chicken for tacos, enchiladas, and as a meal prep recipe for salads and sandwiches.

Ingredients

  • 4 large chicken breasts
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 clove garlic, roughly chopped
  • 4 roasted hatch chiles, stems and seeds removed and chopped
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup of your favorite tomato based salsa
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Set the Instant Pot on the “saute” setting. Add the olive oil, sliced onion, and garlic to the Instant Pot. Sauté until the onions start to become translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the hatch chiles to the pot and cook another 2 minutes.
  2. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with the garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken to the Instant Pot and sear for 3 minutes per side. You want to get the chicken nice and browned.
  3. Add the salsa, water, and chicken bouillon cube to the Instant Pot. Give everything a good stir so that the water reaches the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot with the lid and make sure that the steam release valve is closed. Switch the Instant Pot to the high pressure cook setting and set the timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, release the steam and remove the chicken breasts from the pot. Shred the chicken with two forks and put it back in the sauce. Stir well to let the chicken soak up the juices in the pot and serve as desired.

Semi-Homemade Hot Dog Bar

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Entertaining does not have to be fancy to be delicious and delightful to your guests. We love having friends over in the summer for a backyard barbecue, and instead of spending hours prepping for a fancy feast, we like to have a really fun menu like this Semi-Homemade Hot Dog Bar. We love that we can cook hot dogs to order and let everyone fend for themselves with the hot dog bar ingredients to make their own meal. We have included suggestions for some of our favorite summer hot dogs below, and also encourage our guests to create their own flavors! If you are really in host and hostess mode, you can write out our ideas below (and some of your own!) to help guide your guests through the hot dog bar. The key to success with a menu like this is to think smart, not hard. You’ll notice that there are some repetitive ingredients amongst the list. We have also “semi-homemade” some of the ingredients, including the bbq pulled pork and chili, which have come from the prepared food section at the grocery store. If you want to make all of the bar toppings from scratch, by all means have at it. But if you don’t have time, you can still pull this off pretty easily. Having repeat and pre-made ingredients helps eliminate a ton of prep time in the kitchen, but doesn’t take away from the fun of the presentation. For reference, we like to plan for 2-3 hot dogs per person when making our ingredient list.

The Hot Dog Lineup:

  1. Asian Slaw Dog: Asian slaw, cilantro, sesame seeds, sriracha ketchup.
  2. The Cincinnati Dog: chili, onion, mustard, cheese.
  3. BLAT Dog: bacon wrapped dog, tomato, arugula, avocado, mayo.
  4. BBQ Pulled Pork Dog: pulled pork, barbecue sauce, everything bagel coleslaw.
  5. Chicago Dog: tomato, mustard, giardinara, sliced dill pickle.
  6. Mexican Dog: avocado (or guacamole), pickled jalapeños, cilantro,

Grilled Supreme Pizza

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Grilled pizza is a staple for us and is constantly popping up on our weekly meal rotation. We love how easy and versatile the base recipe is so that we can mix and match ingredients with the season and our preferences. For this week’s recipe we were craving a classic supreme pizza. We love the combination of veggies and sausage in a supreme – it is definitely the best of both worlds in our opinion and doesn’t feel overly filling like other pizza variations. If you have a home garden growing, this is a great time to incorporate a lot of those veggies! Because of pregnancy heartburn we chose to not add any spicy peppers in our recipe, but highly recommend adding chili flakes or giardiniera if spicy if your jam!

Grilled Supreme Pizza

  • Servings: 4
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Utilizing the grill as much as possible for our take on a classic supreme pizza.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb premade raw pizza dough
  • flour (for rolling the dough)
  • 1/2 cup pizza sauce
  • 1/2 lb Italian sausage links
  • 1/4 red onion, sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced into strips
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 can black olives, sliced
  • basil

Directions

  1. Turn on your grill to high heat or if you are using an oven, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you are using a pizza stone, put it on the grill or in the oven to preheat as well. When the grill is hot, add the sausages, red onion, and yellow peppers. Cook the sausages 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway, until they are cooked through. Keep an eye on the bell peppers and red onions and remove when they are starting to char. Remove all of the topping ingredients from the grill and set aside.
  2. Use the extra flour to roll the dough into a thin round pizza. You want the pizza to be about a half inch thick so that it can support the weight of the ingredients.
  3. Place the pizza dough on the grill for 5 minutes (or in the oven for 7-10) until the bottom layer is crispy and has a hard crunch. Remove the dough from the oven and place cooked side up. Slice the sausage into bite-sized pieces and top the pizza with all of the topping ingredients (pizza sauce – black olives) in an even layer.
  4. Place the pizza back on the grill for 5 minutes (7-10 for the oven) until the dough is completely cooked through and the cheese is melted. Top with fresh basil, slice, and serve.