Jumbalaya

This is one of the few recipes that Tyson brought into our marriage and it is a favorite. Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 lb. of smoked sausages cut into 1/4 in. slices (I use turkey sausage for fewer calories)
1 med. green pepper, chopped
1 sm. onion, chopped,
2 10 oz cans of diced tomatoes with chilies
1 14.5 oz can of chicken broth
1 c. water
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 c. uncooked long grain rice

Cook sausage about 5 minutes. Added pepper and onion and cook until tender. Stir in tomatoes, broth, water, garlic powder and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil. Stir in chicken and rice. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes until the rice is tender.
Serves 6
Points: 7

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

I love Mexican food! While this recipe is by no means authentic, it is super easy to throw together in a pinch. I have several other more gourmet enchilada recipes that I'm sure that I will post down the road, but for today we are going with EASY. I forgot to take a picture...sorry.

Ingredients:
10 flour tortillas, soft taco size-I use flour because I don't care for corn tortillas, but you can always use corn.
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can enchilada sauce
1 c. sour cream
1 can diced green chilies
1 can sliced olives
2 c. shredded cheese, separated-You can use any kind, I use a Mexican blend for some added flavor

Mix together the enchilada sauce, diced green chilies, and sour cream. Spread 1 cup of the enchilada sauce mix on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Take a flour tortillas and spoon in some sauce, 1/10 of the chicken and a 1/8 cup of cheese. Roll up and place in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese and the olives on top.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Yields 10
Points: 7 per enchilada

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

Yet another pizza favorite in our household. Like I said before we love to play around with new pizza ideas and this came from me just playing around in the kitchen.
Well, to begin let's star with a basic pizza dough recipe. This is an old family favorite and I have no idea where it came from.
Ingredients:
1 c. water, hot
1 T. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 T. olive oil
2-1/2 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in water and let stand for a few minutes. Add remaining ingredients and let the mixer knead for about 5 minutes. This is enough dough for 2 pizzas.

*I have 2 methods, for a thinner, normal crust for my pizza I use a pizza stone. Or, for a deep dish crust I use a 12" cast iron skillet. I melt butter (Safola margarine for less fat) in the bottom before I add the dough.

Bake the dough for approximately 7 minutes. Remove from oven and add toppings and sauce.

For this pizza I use the following:
1/4 c. Ranch dressing
1/2 chicken breast, sliced
3 mushrooms, sliced
1 medium tomato, sliced
2 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1-1/2 c. Mozzarella cheese, divided

Spread the dressing around the crust and top with 1 cup of the cheese. Spread the remaining pizza toppings and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Back for another 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese bubbles and the crust is golden.
Serves 6
Points: 7

Chicken Pesto Pizza

I love pizza, but I get bored with pepperoni, Hawaiian, etc. so I find myself trying new toppings and sauces all the time. I was flipping through one of my many cookbooks (Taste of Home) last week looking for some new ides when I landed on this recipe.
Ingredients:
1 tube refrigerated pizza dough (now, I can't stand to use that stuff so I make my own dough. I'll post that recipe soon)
1/2 c. water
3 T. olive oil
1 envelope pesto sauce mix
1 pkg. (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 c. ricotta cheese (I used the fat free ricotta)
1/4 c. chopped onion
2 c. shredded cooked chicken
1 jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 roma tomatoes, sliced
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 c. grated Romano cheese

The recipe says to unroll the pizza crust onto a jellyroll pan, however I prefer to use a pizza stone. Prick the dough with a fork and bake at 425 degrees for about 7 minutes.

In a small sauce pan combine the water, oil and pesto mix and warm through, don't boil. Add the spinach, ricotta and onion and mix well.
*The recipe says to use this entire amount on the pizza, but when I made it I felt that it was just too much, so I saved half of it and put it in the freezer to use when I make this pizza again. Spread the spinach pesto mix over the crust.

Top with mushrooms, chicken, tomatoes and both Swiss and Romano cheese. Bake at the same 425 degrees for another 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden.
Serves 8
Points: 7 per slice