dinner

Crack Chicken Crescent Bombs

August 25, 2018 by Stacy Craft 4 Comments

Crack chicken crescent bombs are stuffed with cheesy chicken, crisp bacon and ranch. Your entire family will beg you for these little pockets of goodness!

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Chicken puffs are a staple at our house. Shredded chicken, some combo of cheeses as a binder and then something to create some interest.

In this case it is bacon, can’t go wrong with bacon. We usually call these “puffs” but after making this newest creation, a new name was warranted.

Adding crack chicken to our ordinary puffs made them much more than just a puff. Welcome, crack chicken crescent BOMBS. Because, well, these things are the bomb!

If you read 2.7 seconds on this site, you know that my 4 year old is in that “I only eat chicken nuggets, mac n cheese and McDonald’s” phase. Or I should say that is the phase she wants to be in!

I don’t usually agree with that phase so we negotiate. I find if she tries something she usually likes it so we just have to win the battle to try the new food. Ya’ll she loved these!

Crack Chicken Crescent Bombs

Let me tell you about these amazing crack chicken crescent bombs. You have probably had crack chicken or at least seen it all over Pinterest.

Crack chicken is shredded chicken, cream cheese, a little cheddar, ranch and some crumbled bacon. There is nothing bad about crack chicken. But you really take it up a notch when you turn the crack chicken into a crescent roll bomb!

Prepare Your Crack Chicken

You can make your crack chicken in a variety of methods. I used my new Instant Pot to make my chicken. But you can also use your crockpot or even a rotisserie chicken.

Using the instant pot, place a package of chicken thighs or chicken breasts into the pot. Add half a cup of chicken broth and a tablespoon of ranch mix on top. As a side note, we really prefer boneless/skinless thighs in this recipe!

For the instant pot, I use the poultry setting and cook for 15 minutes on high pressure. Allow the pressure to release naturally. While your chicken is in the instant pot, set out your cream cheese so that it can soften up a bit.

Cook your bacon while your chicken is cooking. You could use the packaged real bacon bits but actually making the bits will really increase the flavor in your crack chicken crescent bombs.

The Crack Chicken Mixture

In a large bowl, shred your cooked chicken thighs. Next, add the cream cheese, shredded cheese, bacon bits and 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning to the bowl and mix it all together.

Take one crescent roll triangle and press it out with your fingers just a little. You don’t want to make the dough too thin, but if you press it out a little, it helps get a nice seal on your “bombs.” And let’s face it, no one wants their crack chicken crescent bombs oozing out all their awesome filling so that seal is important.

I usually try to get about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons into each crescent. Then wrap it up like a crescent roll but instead of leaving the edges open, you want to pinch all the way around to make a nice seal. Just keep tugging on dough until you get all the filling contained.

Place the crack chicken crescent bombs on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. I usually flip mine over after about 10 minutes so that both sides get browned. I think it helps to make sure you don’t end up with doughy crescents too!

Serve these cheesy crack chicken crescent bombs with mashed potatoes and a big green salad or some green beans.

Especially if you do the chicken in the Instant Pot or Crock pot, you can have this dinner on the table quicker than the pizza delivery guy can get to your house!

We don’t usually have leftover chicken puffs but if you do, they heat up really well for lunch the next day.

Well, if I’m being honest, they heat up well for breakfast too! Surely I am not the only one that likes dinner food for breakfast! A

nd if you cook up some extra chicken in your instant pot, check out 5 things to do with your leftover chicken.

Crack Chicken Crescent Bombs

Servings

Ingredients

1 Package Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs (6-7 thighs)
1 Envelope Ranch Dressing Mix
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
4 strips Crisp Bacon Crumbled
1 Cup Shredded cheddar cheese
1 Block Cream cheese softened
2 packages Refrigerated Crescent Rolls

Servings

Ingredients

1 Package Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs (6-7 thighs)
1 Envelope Ranch Dressing Mix
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
4 strips Crisp Bacon Crumbled
1 Cup Shredded cheddar cheese
1 Block Cream cheese softened
2 packages Refrigerated Crescent Rolls

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Add chicken thighs, chicken broth and 1 tablespoon of ranch mix (1/2 package) to the instant pot. Cook using the poultry setting on high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow steam to release naturally.
While the chicken is cooking, cook your bacon until crisp and tear it into bits.
In a large bowl, shred your cooked chicken thighs.
Add the softened cream cheese, shredded cheese, bacon bits and remaining 1 tablespoon of ranch mix to the bowl.
Mix well until all items are incorporated.
Place 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the center of each crescent roll triangle.
Roll the crescent roll up and pinch the ends together to create a seal around the edges.
Place the prepared chicken bombs onto a baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
Cook the crack chicken crescent bombs for 15 minutes.

5 THM Leftover Chicken Lunch Ideas

May 25, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

5 THM Leftover Chicken Lunch Ideas

The hardest part of Trim Healthy Mama for me is coming up with interesting but easy meals. With little ones under foot, I need quick and simple meals a lot of the time. These 5 THM leftover chicken lunch ideas not only meet that criteria but they are also budget friendly! If you need more lunch ideas check out my 6 THM Work Lunch Ideas and a Protein Packed THM S Salad.

Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.

How Do the Leftover Lunches Help My Budget?

Eating at home (or lunch brought from home) saves money. Now that is not some new phenomenon but it is so true. Since I spend a little more on certain personal choice items when following THM – hello Halo Top! – I like to save in other areas where I can.

I can buy a large package of chicken at Walmart for under $10. The breasts are so thick, I slice them lengthwise and make 2 servings from each. Then I have my husband grill it up with a simple marinade.

We usually eat a portion for dinner that night with veggies and maybe a sweet potato if we want an “E” meal. Then I package the rest up to eat through the week. Having a nice cooked protein ready to go usually solves 90% of my “what am I going to eat” dilemma. It also helps to prevent eating out or worse, falling off plan if I have something ready to use.

5 THM Leftover Chicken Lunch Ideas

My husband was out of town a good bit of this week, so I didn’t cook much. It was a really nice break to have this chicken in the fridge for simple lunches and light, summer dinner meals. Here is what I ate!

Simple Cobb Salad – THM S

I love Cobb salad because you can kind of throw anything on it and call it a Cobb salad. Right? Well I think you can anyway.

Top a bed of baby spinach with your diced leftover chicken, boiled egg, some diced veggies (I used orange bell pepper), a few grape tomatoes and cheese.

Chicken Avocado Mozzarella Bowl – THM S

I actually ate this for a light dinner but it would be great for lunch. The creamy avocado goes great with the chewy mozzarella.

Reheat and cut your chicken. Cut up the avocado and tomato. Place all items in the bowl and add the fresh mozzarella balls. I drizzled the mozzarella with a little olive oil and balsamic and sprinkled it with pepper.

Chicken Alfredo Pita Pizza – THM S

I used to make these before THM so this is a modified version that still tastes yummy and not like diet food!

I place a Joseph’s pita directly on the rack of a 350 degree oven for 3-5 minutes to crisp it up a little. Then spread a thin layer of an Alfredo sauce. You can make your own but I am not a purist and I am a mom to young kids so I need fast. I use Newman’s Own Alfredo and I’m happy with it (read the label and choose for yourself).

Next, spread on a layer of shredded cheese. Then top it with your chopped, leftover chicken. I added sliced onion and fresh mozzarella and fresh basil too! Heat in the oven for about 5-7 more minutes until everything gets all melty and delicious.

Chicken Fajita Quesadilla -THM S

If I was eating at a Mexican restaurant prior to THM, this is probably what you would have caught me eating. I love the taste of a fajita but the slightly crunchy shell of a quesadilla. It melts two of my favorite Mexican things together into one yummy dish.

Here I made my THM version by simply subbing in a Mission low carb tortilla (personal choice item). Inside is just the leftover chicken, cheese and sautéed onions and peppers. I cook that up in my quesadilla maker and have lunch in just a few minutes. Top with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.

Greek Chicken Mediterranean Bowl – THM E

You don’t eat no meat?! Y’all don’t you just love “My Big Fat Greek Wedding?” I know it is an older movie but it still makes me LOL every time.For this lunch, I just made an all things Greek bowl using leftovers. Take some leftover brown rice or quinoa (I used a blend) and it with your chopped chicken. Warm in the microwave until it reaches the desired temp. Then top your bowl with kalamata olives, tomatoes, hummus and Tzatziki. I like having an easy way to get an E meal in me that isn’t the same ol’ sandwich. I hope these 5 THM leftover chicken lunch ideas help you to use up your leftovers and save you some money from the takeout line.

Low Carb Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

November 26, 2018 by Stacy Craft 14 Comments

These low carb salsa verde chicken enchiladas will have you feeling anything but deprived! Rich, cheesy and delicious Mexican food without the carbs!

These low carb salsa verde chicken enchiladas are smothered in a 2 ingredient cheesy queso. This recipe was inspired by my most popular Keto recipe on this blog – salsa verde chicken with cauliflower rice. That recipe has been pinned over 100,000 times so I wanted to stuff that recipe into low carb tortilla and call it an enchilada! And since i have already made it into nachos, enchiladas seemed like the right thing to do.

I love Mexican food. I often joke that I could eat it for breakfast. And the couple of times that we have vacationed to Mexico, I have done just that. So when I started my low carb journey, my first worry aside from dessert was my beloved tacos and enchiladas.

It is so nice to be able to eat creamy chicken enchiladas without any guilt. I ate two tonight and just had to share this simple and delicious recipe with you.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Low Carb Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

I have been doing the Trim Healthy Mama diet on and off for the past 9 months. The hardest thing to me about the lifestyle is convenience foods. Lots of people tend to make eating low carb complicated when it doesn’t have to be.

These 5 ingredient low carb salsa verde chicken enchiladas use the grocery store’s best low carb convenience item as it’s star ingredient. A rotisserie chicken. If you eat low carb or are on THM and you need a quick and easy on plan meal, pick up a rotisserie chicken!

^I forgot to put the cream cheese in the picture. That is what cooking with a 4 year old and an 13 month old will do to you.

With just a few minutes of prep work and then 20 minutes in the oven, you will have a delicious plate of comfort food that I promise you would eat if you were not on a “diet.”

Prepare the Queso

The biggest key to a smooth queso is letting your cream cheese soften before heating it. You can tell from looking at my pictures that I was impatient tonight and did not let the cream cheese soften enough.

If you don’t let it soften up long enough, you may have trouble getting it to melt completely. Don’t worry if this happens, it might not be as pretty but it still tastes great!

After your cream cheese is soft, add it to a small saucepan over medium/low to medium heat with the salsa verde. Allow the cream cheese to melt, stirring occasionally. It usually takes about 10 minutes.

Assemble the Green Salsa Enchiladas

When I make these low carb salsa verde chicken enchiladas, I do not measure the filling. I just toss it in and roll it up. However, I will try and give approximate amounts if you prefer to see a measurement.

Add about 2 tablespoons of shredded chicken, a tablespoon of shredded cheese and a drizzle of the cream cheese and green salsa queso to each low carb tortilla. Roll up and place in your prepared casserole dish seam side down.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, uncovered. Top the enchiladas with sour cream and cilantro when served. We also ate these with a simple avocado side salad.

My husband is not usually thrilled about leftovers but he asked the next day if we had any more enchiladas! I hope you try these low carb salsa verde chicken enchiladas. They were a great change up for us from all the Turkey and dressing that we at last week during Thanksgiving.

Low Carb Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Prep Time

Cook Time

Servings

Ingredients

2 cup Shredded Chicken (I use rotisserie)
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 block Cream cheese softened
1 15 oz Jar salsa verde
8 low carb tortillas

Prep Time

Cook Time

Servings

Ingredients

2 cup Shredded Chicken (I use rotisserie)
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 block Cream cheese softened
1 15 oz Jar salsa verde
8 low carb tortillas

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a 9x13 baking dish by spraying with non-stick spray.
Place the softened cream cheese and the jar of salsa into a medium saucepan.
Melt on medium low for about ten minutes or until the cream cheese is completely melted.
Spread some of the salsa verde/cream cheese queso into the baking dish and spread to lightly cover the bottom.
Place one tortilla on a plate, add a couple of tablespoons of shredded chicken to the center, add a tablespoon or two of shredded cheese and drizzle some of the salsa verde/cream cheese queso down the middle.
Roll up the enchilada and place seam side down into the baking dish.
Continue making the remaining 7 enchiladas.
Top the enchiladas with the remaining salsa verde/cream cheese mixture. Add any remaining shredded cheese to the top as well.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until heated through.

Hope you enjoy these low carb salsa verde chicken enchiladas as much as we did! Check out my Low Carb secret ingredient breaded pork chops too!

Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos

November 2, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Simple Keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos for a quick lunch or snack on a low carb lifestyle.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

My most popular recipe so far has been the Keto cheesy salsa verde chicken with Cauli rice (pinned more than 100k times!). Since I usually have the ingredients on hand, I was thinking about making it yesterday. But then I saw some mini bell peppers in my fridge and another idea was born!

I decided to make some keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos inspired by the original recipe. With a little meal prep that I had done earlier in the week, these came together very quick for a tasty lunch. Just because you are following a low carb diet doesn’t mean that you don’t want some cheesy nachos in your life!

Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos

Just like the original recipe, you need just a few ingredients to make this easy keto friendly lunch. Mini bell peppers, cream cheese, chicken and salsa verde are all you need.

I used the microwave for the cheesy salsa sauce for this recipe but you could also use one of those small crockpots to melt it down if you wanted to throw it together earlier in the day. Melt the salsa with the cream cheese for about a minute in the microwave.

For the chicken, I used my instant pot to shred up a bunch of chicken thighs earlier in the week. If you don’t want to cook your own chicken, a rotisserie chicken would work well with these keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos.

Mix the cream cheese/salsa mixture, the chicken and the shredded cheese in a medium bowl.

Add the mixture to your cut and prepared mini peppers. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. I then broiled it for 2 minutes on high so that the tops would get a light brown crust on top!

The cheesy chicken filling has a slight kick from the salsa verde and the mini bell peppers serve as the perfect vessel to get that yummy goodness into your mouth. Don’t forget some extra salsa verde and sour cream for dipping.

If you need some variety in your Keto or Trim Healthy Mama (S) lunch routine, I hope you try these keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos. If you love the low carb lifestyle, don’t forget to try these smoked salmon, cream cheese roll ups and cheeseburger soup.

And don’t forget to make yourself a 2 minute keto breakfast in the microwave in the morning.

Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos

Servings

Ingredients

5-6 mini bell peppers (cut lengthwise)
2 oz Cream cheese
1/4 cup salsa verde
1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1/4 cup Shredded cheddar cheese

Servings

Ingredients

5-6 mini bell peppers (cut lengthwise)
2 oz Cream cheese
1/4 cup salsa verde
1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1/4 cup Shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prep the mini bell peppers by cutting off the top, slicing lengthwise and removing seeds.
Place the cream cheese and salsa verde in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 1 minute. You may want to do this in 30 second increments to ensure it doesn't burn.
If your precooked chicken is cold, warm it slightly in the microwave .
Add the salsa/cream cheese mixture, warm chicken and shredded cheddar cheese to a small mixing bowl and combine.
Stuff the sliced peppers with approximately a tablespoon of the cheesy chicken mixture. The exact measurement will vary based on the size of your peppers.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Broil for 2 minutes until the tops are slightly browned.