Tag: food

Southwest Chicken Salad

Southwest Chicken Salad

by hannahshelbymorgan ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Get ready to eat the tastiest salad of your life!

I’m sure you can already tell that I’m totally obsessed with anything Southwest style. Not only is the Southwest Chicken Salad delicious, but also nutritious! It’s super easy to make & totally customizable. I love that I can make small portions, or enough to feed my husband & I for dinner & lunch the next day! I save quite a bit of time by making this salad in a large batch & it’s so simple to just grab & go in the morning.

Southwest Chicken Salad is a great option to take to work for lunch because it will save you a chunk of change. For all the ingredients I spent under $20. It makes 4-6 portions, depending on big or small you like your salads. That being said, each portion costs between $3-$5. A similar salad at Panera runs about $13. That means each salad you make at home puts $10 back in your pocket that would you would’ve otherwise spent getting a salad out somewhere during your lunch break. Talk about savings!

What You’ll Need

  • 2 bags of salad mix (I like an Italian or Romaine mix)
  • 2 can black beans, drained
  • 1 can corn, drained
  • 2 Packages of grilled chicken strips
  • Shredded cheese (I prefer a Mexican blend of Colby Jack)
  • Santa Fe tortilla strips
  • Cilantro, chopped
  • Avocado, sliced
  • Red bell pepper, diced
  • Spicy ranch dressing

Step 1

Gather all the ingredients you’ll need. Dice the red bell pepper and chop the cilantro. Combine the diced bell pepper, cilantro, black beans & corn in a large bowl. Mix well with a spoon. I like to put my mix in a glass bowl with a lid so it’ll keep well throughout the week.

Step 2

Lay your greens out on a plate. I like to use half a bag of salad mix.

Step 3

Add as much or as little of the black bean mix on top of your salad greens.

Step 4

Top everything with chicken, cheese & tortilla strips. I use about half of a container of the precooked chicken strips out of the cold section at the store. My fave cheese to use for this salad is a Mexican blend or Colby Jack.

Step 5

Slice an avocado & line the edge of your plate with the avocado slices. Drizzle with spicy ranch dressing.

Don’t forget, phone eats first! 😉 I hope you absolutely love this tasty salad I have artfully crafted to give your tastebuds the ultimate southwest experience!

xo, Han

Southwest Chicken Breasts

Southwest Chicken Breasts

by hannahshelbymorgan ♥ 4 Comments

Welcome to your new favorite weeknight dinner!

Get ready to try my favorite weeknight meal of all time! This recipe for Southwest Chicken Breasts is SO easy, delicious & healthy. Bonus points: it looks & tastes like it’s from a restaurant & is easy on the wallet!

The ingredients you will need are:

  • 2-4 chicken breasts
  • 2 cans black beans, drained
  • 1 cup frozen or canned corn
  • 1 can diced green chiles
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. To begin, combine the black beans, corn, green chiles, red bell pepper & chopped cilantro. Mix it well in a large mixing bowl.

2. Gather your spices–ground cumin, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Combine the spices well in a small dish. I like to use a little ramekin dish!

3. I use a pack of 2 chicken breasts & slice them down the middle. This ensures the chicken will be throughly cooked & also keeps healthy portion sizes in mind. Lay them flat & spread out in a 9×13 glass dish. Use a spoon to sprinkle about 1/4 of the seasoning mix on each 1/2 chicken breast.

4. Spread the black bean/corn mixture over the chicken breasts evenly, making sure to cover the chicken well.

5. Top with Colby Jack cheese before popping it in the oven. Add as much or as little as you’d like.

6. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-50 minutes, depending on your oven & how crispy you want your cheese to get. Personally, I cook mine for 45 minutes. Cut into the chicken a bit to make sure it’s totally done once you take it out of the oven.

7. Divide into 4 portions & now you have dinner for 2 & lunch for 2 the next day! Serve warm and enjoy!

Southwest Chicken Breasts

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2-4 chicken breasts
  • 2 cans black beans, drained
  • 1 cup frozen or canned corn
  • 1 can diced green chiles
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. To begin, combine the black beans, corn, green chiles, red bell pepper & chopped cilantro. Mix it well in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Gather your spices–ground cumin, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Combine the spices well in a small dish.
  3. I use a pack of 2 chicken breasts & slice them down the middle. This ensures the chicken will be throughly cooked & also keeps healthy portion sizes in mind. Lay them flat & spread out in a 9×13 glass dish. Use a spoon to sprinkle about 1/4 of the seasoning mix on each 1/2 chicken breast.
  4. Spread the black bean/corn mixture over the chicken breasts evenly, making sure to cover the chicken well.
  5. Top with Colby Jack cheese before popping it in the oven. Add as much or as little as you’d like.
  6. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-50 minutes, depending on your oven & how crispy you want your cheese to get. Cut into the chicken a bit to make sure it’s totally done once you take it out of the oven.
  7. Divide into 4 portions & now you have dinner for 2 & lunch for 2 the next day! Serve warm and enjoy!

I hope you absolutely love my favorite meal to cook at home! I would love to know your thoughts on my recipe & any alterations you’ve tried. Bon appetit!

xo, Han

Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo

by hannahshelbymorgan ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Who doesn’t get a craving for some down right tasty Mexican food every now & then . . . okay, like ~everyday~ if I’m being honest.

Pico de Gallo is one of my all time fave chip dips! I used to buy to pre-made from the store, but nothing tastes as good as homemade. I’m a firm believer that homemade is A L W A Y S better–let’s face it, homemade means it was a labor of love.

Love tastes better than whatever preservatives keep that store Pico “fresh” for so long, ha!

Ingredients

6 Roma tomatoes
1 jalapeño 
1 white onion
1 red onion
1/2 a bunch of cilantro
minced garlic to taste
lime juice from 1/2 a lime
salt to taste

Directions

  1. Chop the tomatoes, jalapeño, onions & cilantro.
  2. Combine the ingredients in a large bowl & add minced garlic, lime juice & salt.
  3. Gently mix (as not to smash the tomatoes!) until the salsa is well combined.
  4. Grab some chips (& maybe a marg) & E N J O Y! ***To keep this salsa’s freshness for a few days, use a container with an airtight lid. Store up to several days.