An Easy Dinner For The Whole Family: Bacon Wrapped Chicken Stuffed With Artichoke Dip

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This post featuring a delicious Bacon Wrapped Chicken Stuffed With Artichoke Dip recipe is sponsored by Foster Farms®, the opinions expressed are my own.

An Easy Dinner For The Whole Family Bacon Wrapped Chicken Stuffed With Artichoke Dip

When making dinner for the family I hate having to think of preparing two seperate meals. For the most part I choose at least one thing – whether it be the main course or one of the side dishes – that I know each kid likes and then prepare the rest depending on what we have on hand.

However sometimes with a few tweaks I can turn one meal into two: a grown up meal and something more kid-friendly. How awesome is that? Same amount of time with two delicious main courses. With three kids I need 30 minute meals or less and these recipes make that happen.

The bacon wrapped chicken stuffed with artichoke dip takes a few of my favorite things – bacon, artichoke dip, and chicken – and marries them ingredients together to form an amazingly delicious meal. Plus artichokes are in season right now so you can find them everywhere. And the homemade chicken nuggets… need I say more?

Homemade Chicken Nuggets for the kids

We try to stock up on produce when its in season or grow it in our garden. Not only does it taste better but it can also be cheaper. Another thing we do that keeps costs low is purchase our chicken at Costco.

Foster Farms® Organic chicken is in Costco now and in grocery stores in the fall. This means we can purchase USDA Certified Organic chicken in bulk to save money and stock our freezer. Free range, organic vegetarian fed AND locally grown in California!

Since my daughter has requested that we not eat our chickens once they stop laying I need to go somewhere for chicken!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Stuffed With Artichoke Dip

The bacon wrapped chicken stuffed with artichoke dip is so simple! And if you just hosted a party where you made artichoke dip and have leftovers then its super easy to throw together. But don’t worry, you can purchase artichoke dip at your local grocery store if you don’t want to make it.

So 3 ingredients and you have a grown up chicken dish that’ll make you feel all awesome about yourself for making. And?? It works great or parties too! So do the nuggets.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Stuffed With Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

  • chicken tenderloins (or breasts cut into 3 1″ thick strips)
  • artichoke dip
  • pre-cooked bacon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken tenderloins on a piece of plastic wrap. Cover with a second piece of plastic wrap and, using a rolling pin or meat tenderizer, hit until flat.

Remove the plastic wrap and place a spoonful of dip on and spread over the whole piece of chicken. Taking the thicker/wider side of the tenderloin, roll the chicken up.

Take a piece of bacon and wrap that around the rolled chicken. Keep in place with a toothpick.

Cook for 20 minutes and serve.

Homemade chicken nuggets ingredients

And now for the nuggets… so easy but SO good! And I’ve skipped a few steps that I used to include for simplicity.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients

  • chicken tenderloins
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 1/2 cup panko or regular breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Place whisked egg into a shallow dish. Cut tenderloins into 1 inch pieces.

Place chicken pieces in egg and coat well.

Add bread crumbs and seasoning into a zip top bag. Then add egg coated chicken and close the bag. Shake, shake, shake until chicken is thoroughly coated.

Spread the nuggets out onto a foil-lined sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets with BBQ Sauce

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Foster Farms®, the opinions expressed are my own.

5 Easy Ways to Celebrate Cinco De Mayo

5 Easy Ways to Celebrate Cinco De Mayo

It’s a few weeks away from Cinco De Mayo and we’re planning our fiesta! I can’t resist celebrating a day that’s filled with good food, good friends, and fun drinks.

Now I know that this is one of those holidays that’s been taken over by Americans for the fun and excuse to party. But that doesn’t mean that we should skip it and NOT enjoy a fun party.

So grab a few friends and follow these 5 easy ways to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. You may just realize that you want to find more excuses to party!

partida skinny margarita aerial

1. Grab the tequila and make a skinny margarita!

tequila lime pork tacos aerial

2. Turn up the grill and make some tequila lime pork tacos, these easy tex mex cheese enchiladas and some beef and black bean enchiladas.

creamy tomatillo avocado sauce

3. Mix some dips! This creamy tomatillo avocado sauce isn’t only good on my tequila lime pork tacos but it’s super tasty with chips too. And this simple 4 ingredient roasted corn and black beans dip is the perfect accompanyment.

My PB&J Churro Cupcakes

Churro Cupcakes from My PB&J

 

4. Prepare some tasty desserts like these churro style tortillas or churro cupcakes. OMG – I can’ believe how delicious these both are!

diy-geometric-fiesta-garland

DIY Festive Garland from Oh Happy Day!

 

5. Grab that margarita and delicious food, hang up some festive DIY garland, and turn on the mariachi music!

How do you celebrate Cinco De Mayo?

Making Snacktime Fun with Butterfly Crackers

This shop featuring Butterfly Crackers and after school snack ideas has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PutItOnARitz #CollectiveBias

Making Snacktime Fun with Butterfly Crackers

When I pick up my kids from school the one thing on their minds as we head home is, “What’s for snack?” All of the learning and activities they did between lunch and the end of their school day has left them starving and it’s up to me to help satiate their hunger.

Finding snacks they both like can be difficult but when I put a little effort into it I can usually please both of them. All it takes is 5 minutes and a little scrounging in the fridge and pantry to create a fun and simple snack for them to enjoy while they work on homework or play a game. [Read more…]

31 Pies for Pi Day

pies-for-pi-day

Pi Day is right around the corner and this year it’s a pretty exciting one and Pi enthusiests are prepping for their Pi celebrations due to the fact that not only is it 3/14 this year, it’s 3/14/15! That’s representing the first 5 digits of π: 3.1415.

But that’s not the most exciting part. In the year 2015, Pi Day will also have special significance on 3/14/15 at 9:26:53 a.m. and p.m., with the date and time representing the first 10 digits of π.

So whether you’re a mathmatician or simply a pie enthusiest, these Pi Day pie recipes are bound to make your celebration perfect. And while these are all dessert pies, don’t forget the savory pies as well! I even have a savory pie crust recipe that’ll be perfect to fill. We’ll be enjoying a french silk pie tomorrow. What flavor will you be enjoying?  [Read more…]

Creative Ways to Use Leftovers {Grilled Pulled Pork and Mac and Cheese Sandwich Recipe}

I’m sharing this delicious Grilled Pulled Pork and Mac and Cheese Sandwich recipe and other creative ways to use leftovers with Campbell’s® Sauces as part of a sponsored post for Socialstars. #CampbellsSauces

Grilled Pulled Pork and Mac and Cheese Sandwich Recipe - Creative Ways to Use Leftovers #CampbellsSauces

As I mentioned previously, pre-planning meals with a newborn in the house is quite important when I have a house full of hungry people. Luckily I’m fairly creative and have not only planned out great slow cooker freezer meals but have also figured out ways to use those meals along with others I’ve prepared to make delicious leftover dishes like this grilled pulled pork and mac and cheese sandwich.

Getting creative with leftovers doesn’t have to be hard. Many dishes can be recreated simply by pairing them with another dish or adding a few other ingredients to change things up.

One of my favorite things to do is make a protein in the crock pot like chicken, beef, or pork, and have that meat slated for a few different recipes to make throughout the week. Cooking it up on a Monday means that I could easily have dinner prepped for Monday night, Wednesday and Friday! And we’re not eating the same boring leftovers.  [Read more…]

15 Delicious Cocktail Recipes

15 Delicious Cocktail Recipes

With a newborn, it can be hard to get out of the house for dinner – let alone happy hour with the girls – so I’ve been rounding up some delicious cocktail recipes to enjoy at home.

Not only will these be perfect for entertaining, but they’re great for a little indulgence at the end of a long day. I can’t wait to narrow down what I’ll be serving at book club next month! [Read more…]

Homemade Pizza Dough

Homemade Pizza Dough

Making pizza dough at home is easy and cost-effective. For a fraction of the price of pre-made doughs in the store, you can make enough dough for two people all in the comfort of your own home.

Now don’t let the yeast throw you off or intimidate you. Once you start playing around with yeast it can be rather fun! Think of it as a science experiment.

You can make the dough one of a few ways. I prefer to make it in my bread machine but a stand mixer with a dough hook can work equally as well. [Read more…]

Garden Veggie Recipes

Garden Veggie Recipes

With spring right around the corner I’m starting to plan out what I want to plant. But for now I’m enjoying my winter crop. These garden veggie recipes help me stick with delicious and healthy ways to incorporate my garden crops into meals for my family.

With an abundance of broccoli, kale, spinach, etc I’m finding that I need more and more ideas to branch out and try something new. And once spring hits I know I’ll be looking for more delicious recipes to try with my spring harvest.  [Read more…]

Easy Meal Planning Tips plus a Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie recipe

Looking for easy meal planning tips and ideas for busy weeknights? We’re sharing a few of our favorites + this delicious deconstructed chicken pot pie recipe! 

skillet sauces, easy dinner, easy recipes, campbell's slow cooker sauce, campbell's skillet sauce, campbell’s oven sauce

While many people are making resolutions for the New Year, I’m continuing with some resolutions I made last year. One of which is to stick to our monthly budget and reduce the amount we eat out. Being a gazillion weeks pregnant – ok… 38 weeks – means that I’ve turned to take out quite a bit over the past few months.

This year we’re resetting ourselves and bringing out my easy meal planning tips to ensure that we’re making the most of our budget AND cooking delicious dishes that the whole family loves. Luckily I have some great help from my well-stocked pantry. 

skillet sauces, easy dinner, easy recipes, campbell's slow cooker sauce, campbell's skillet sauce, campbell’s oven sauce

Easy Meal Planning Tips

  1. Try New Recipes – one thing that I love to do when meal planning is find new recipes I haven’t tried. This keeps things fresh so I’m not continually making the same go-to dishes I always make. This also helps me stock my pantry with fun ingredients I may not have thought to use regularly. It’s also a great way to slowly expand a spice rack.
  2. Choose a day to meal plan and write it out – now this may seem simple and easy but it’s really the backbone to a good meal plan. I love to sit down Sunday morning with my husband, the Sunday paper, and any new recipes we’re trying out to plan out what we’re eating for the next week. By checking out the ads and coupons I can make sure we’re eating within budget.
  3. Keep a list of items you run out of handy – We used to have a simple note pad on the fridge that we kept our grocery list on so that come Sunday I could simply grab it and add it to the list of items I was purchasing for the next week’s meals. Now we have a super cute chalkboard door on the front of one of our upper cabinets. Find something that works for your family and put it into place!
  4. Keep a well-stocked pantry – Take inventory of the pantry items found in your favorite go-to recipes. Try and make sure you have those items on hand at all times to assure that they’ll be there when you need them. We always have a great selection of shelf stable sauces and mixes on hand to go with the frozen veggies and meat we keep in the freezer. This makes for a great go-to when recipes we try out don’t go as planned.
  5. Have a little wiggle room – While meal planning every night of the week would be wonderful for our budget, it’s just not practical. With things that come up during the week we need a little wiggle room. And that means having a floating day for take out. More than likely that means pizza!

skillet sauces, easy dinner, easy recipes, campbell's slow cooker sauce, campbell's skillet sauce, campbell’s oven sauce

 

One of my favorite go-to’s for a busy week is this deconstructed chicken pot pie using a store-bought chicken pot pie flavored oven sauce packet. Not only is it delicious, I always have chicken breasts and mixed veggies in the freezer so I know I can simply grab everything and whip up a great meal.

And I only need 5 minutes to prep. I can grab all of the ingredients and put them together in the same time it takes for my oven to preheat. Simply add the chicken and veggies to an oven-safe dish and pour the sauce over everything.

Then I bake for 40 minutes. At the same time, I bake up some homemade biscuits to go with my deconstructed pot pie. Another easy shortcut? Refrigerated biscuits! Before I know it dinner is ready to go and I have a happy family.

 Do you have any tips to make meal planning easy?

Love these ideas? Read more! 

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Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

Sweet’N Low, drink recipe, girls night, diabetic friendly

 As I quickly approach my due date (less than 4 weeks away!) I’ve started to look for quick and easy meals and snacks to make once baby gets here. With two other kids, both in school, this will be the first time I’ll have to be somewhere in the mornings to actually be wiht all three kids once my husband has to return back to work.

One of my go-to breakfasts for myself and the kids are smoothies. Not only are they quick to make, I can make sure that I pack in enough protein, fruits, and sometimes veggies to start the day off right.

Since I’ll be nursing, I knew I also wanted to incorporate oatmeal in the mix as well so I added some quick oats to my favorite peanut butter banana smoothie recipe to create the perfect smoothie to get me going. 

Sweet’N Low, drink recipe, girls night, diabetic friendly

The best part about this smoothie is that I always have all of the ingredients on hand.

Now normally when I’m trying to lose weight I’d include a fat free greek yogurt and 1% milk but because I’m not focused on losing weight, I stick with the full fat versions for the calories.

I do, however, save some calories with the inclusion of powdered peanut butter but regular peanut butter can easily be used as well.

Sweet’N Low, drink recipe, girls night, diabetic friendly

 

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal
  • 2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter
  • 1/2 to 1 banana (sliced)
  • 1-2 Sweet n'Low packets
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  1. In a blender, add in all of the ingredients.
  2. Blend until banana slices are well combined with the other ingredients.
  3. Pour into glasses and serve!

Sweet’N Low, drink recipe, girls night, diabetic friendly

Since I’ve skipped the sugar in a flavored yogurt I add in a packet or two of Sweet’N Low to the blender to add a bit of sweetness without the added calories.

A guilt free drink that’s the perfect way to start any day whether you’re a busy mom with a newborn or simply trying to watch the waistline.

What’s your go-to quick and easy breakfast for busy mornings?



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