Tuesday Food For Thought: The best cozy meals...with a treat of course!

So today I have food on the brain (mainly cause I haven't eatin breakfast yet) and with this cold fall weather sneaking up on us, I decided the best thing to blog about would be cozy fall foods.  Now I am not much of a cook, (because I'm lazy) so most of these recipes will be pretty simple.  (Unless there is one that looks way too delicious not to post.) Everyone loves food so I am most certain that you will all, Enjoy! (I have a sweet tooth too, so there will be cake) (:

Chicken Taco Chili:
Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
Servings: 10

1 onion, chopped 
1 16-oz can black beans 
1 16-oz can kidney beans 
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
10 oz package frozen corn kernels (or 2 small cans of kernel corn)
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies ( or a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes)
1 packet taco seasoning 
1 tbsp cumin 
1 tbsp chili powder 
24 0z. (3) boneless skinless chicken breasts 
chili peppers, chopped (optional)
chopped fresh cilantro 
  
Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. 
Nutritional facts: 202 Calories per 10 oz bowl

Enchilada Casserole:

• Prep: 25 min. Bake: 30 min.
• Yield: 8 Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cups salsa
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat Italian salad dressing
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium taco seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 6 flour tortillas (8 inches)
• 3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, taco seasoning and cumin. Place three tortillas in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with half of the meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat layers.
• Cover and bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 5 minutes; top with lettuce, tomato and cilantro. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Facts

1 piece equals 357 calories, 12 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 45 mg cholesterol, 864 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 23 g protein.

Healthy Mozzarella Sticks:

What you need

• 12 sticks of string cheese in your choice of cheese, go for the low sodium kind if you want to be extra healthy
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp of flour
• 5 tbsp of bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese
• A dollop of olive oil, or cooking spray

Preparation

• Cut the cheese sticks in half, making 24 slices, then freeze the slices in the freezer until completely frozen
• Beat the egg in a small bowl. Use a separate bowl to combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese
• To bread the cheese sticks: First dip the frozen cheese stick into the flour, then into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture
• Once all of the 24 sticks are coated, place them on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil coated with a few drops of olive oil or sprayed with cooking spray (this will keep cleanup to a minimum, and keep the sticks from sticking!)
• Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 4 minutes, or until crisp. They need to be watched closely so they don’t melt completely!

What makes them healthier? They’re home cooked with less butter, they’re baked instead of fried, and cheese sticks are a naturally lower calorie cheese snack. You can also add italian spices or herbs to the recipe, adding them into the bowl with the breadcrumb mixture. Serve with marinara sauce and enjoy!

Southwestern Egg Rolls:

Southwestern Egg Rolls  (makes 48 mini rolls, or 24 regular rolls)

Ingredients:

For the egg rolls:

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1-15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1-9 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with paper towel

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

1-7oz can diced green chiles, drained

4 green onions, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 package of egg roll or wonton wrappers

Preheat oven to 425F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

In a large bowl mix together corn, beans, spinach, cheese, chiles, onions, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Using a small spoon, scoop a small amount of filling onto the wrapper. Starting at a corner, carefully start to roll the wrapper. When it’s slightly rolled, tuck in the two side and continue rolling to the last point. Wet your finger with water and dab a bit on the corner to seal the egg roll. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling, placing them slightly apart on the baking sheet.

Lightly spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes, flipping them at least once during baking.

Stuffed Bell Peppers:
6 large red peppers
4 sausages (chicken, pork, turkey...)
1 large onion
1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup of brown rice
2 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil)
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 350-degrees.
Set one cup of brown rice to cook on the stove.
Chop up the onion and put it into a pan along with olive oil and cook on medium high heat until the onion begins to brown (around 5 minutes). 
While the onions are cooking cut a cup of cherry tomatoes into halves.
Once onions are starting to brown stir in tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Stir constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.
Now remove the sausage meat from the casing and break into small pieces. Cook meat for several minutes (until brown). Meat should be almost completely cooked though.
Combine rice, onion, tomato and sausage pieces in a large bowl and mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cut peppers in half and remove seeds.
Fill peppers with mixture and set into a glass casserole dish.
Bake for 30 minutes and enjoy!

This recipe was pulled from http://www.laurenconrad.com/post/recipe-box-stuffed-bell-peppers

No-Bake Cake Batter Truffles:

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup yellow cake mix dry
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. sprinkles
• 16 oz white dipping chocolate
• 4 Tbsp. yellow cake mix dry

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Beat together butter and sugar using an electric mixer until combined. Blend in vanilla. Add cake mix, flour, salt, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add 3 Tablespoons of milk or more if needed to make a dough consistency. Mix in sprinkles by hand. Roll dough into one inch balls and place on a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill balls in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.
2. While dough balls are chilling, melt almond bark in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir between intervals. Once melted, quickly stir in cake mix until incorporated completely. Using a fork, dip truffles into almond bark and shake of excess bark by tapping the bottom of the fork on the side of your bowl. Place truffle back on the cookie sheet and top with sprinkles. Repeat with remaining balls until finished. {Note: for smoother looking truffles, don't add cake mix to melted chocolate, just leave it by itself}
3. Chill cake batter truffles in the refrigerator until serving. Makes around 24-30 truffles.

All of these recipes were gathered from my pinterest account: http://pinterest.com/frostedcupcakes/