Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Okay these were so yummy and filling!  When I think buffalo wings I think junk food.  This was a great low calorie variation!  Plus anything I can put bleu cheese on is always great in my book :)

 I wanted a crockpot recipe and couldn't find one so I decided to make my own my piecing together parts of other recipes I've seen. I got the lettuce wrap idea from ellaclaireinspired.com.  You can check out her original recipe by clicking on the link. If you're not into the whole lettuce wrap thing you can definitely put this on rolls too. This chicken is great and could be used any way you want.  The girls ate theirs mixed into homemade mac and cheese.  Click here for my baked macaroni recipe.

The lettuce wraps came together super fast so we will definitely be making them again.  Enjoy!

Crock pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Makes about 16 lettuce wraps)

For Chicken:
4 medium chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups Franks Buffalo wing sauce (divided)
1 tsp. celery seed
2 T. butter

For toppings:
reduced fat bleu cheese crumbles
ranch dressing
2 stalks celery (cut in half length wise then sliced)
1 head iceburg lettuce

Add chicken breasts, 1 cup of buffalo sauce and celery seed to crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is cooked through.  Drain any excess liquid and shred chicken.  Add last 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce and butter and continue cooking 15 minutes or until butter is completely melted and combined.

When chicken is cooked fill each leaf of lettuce with chicken and top with celery, bleu cheese and dressing as desired. 

Homemade Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Okay, honestly this recipe was one of those that turned out way better than I expected.  I have been wanting to try a cauliflower crust for a long time but after hearing so many recipe fail stories and imagining my families complaints about cauliflower I had put it off.  So this week I decided to finally try it and it was amazing!

I adapted this recipe from a cauliflower bread sticks recipe I found online. When my husband first saw it come out of the oven he said "that really looks like pizza!" so I'm calling that a win.  The crust isn't quite like bread (it's more moist) but it held together enough to pick it up and eat it.  We used forks and it was great that way too.  My older girls could tell a difference but my younger two just called it pizza and ate it like it was normal. Topped with your favorite toppings it is very satisfying and filling!  The garlic and cheese give it a nice flavor.  My family knew it wasn't bread but couldn't figure out what it was made of, so I think that means it wasn't overly cauliflower-y.

The only downside was that cauliflower doesn't smell quite as amazing as pizza dough while it's cooking but once you get all the garlic and toppings in there it smells enough like pizza to cover :) Give it a try...

Homemade Pizza with Cauliflower Crust
1 large head of cauliflower (enough to make 4 cups finely processed cauliflower "rice")
4 eggs
1 T. italian seasoning
2 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
3 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (divided)
1 cup pizza sauce (I use Classico or homemade)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
your favorite toppings

Topping ideas:
chicken
ham
pepperoni
pineapple
green bell pepper
mushrooms
black olive
tomatoes
onion

Prepare one large baking sheet with sides (or two 9x13 pans) by lining the bottom with parchment paper or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Chop up cauliflower and place in a food processor.  Process until it resembles course bread crumbs or rice".  The finer it's processed the better.  Place in a microwaveable container and cover with a lid.  Cook in microwave at normal power for 10-12 minutes.

In a large bowl mix softened cauliflower, eggs, italian seasoning, minced garlic and 2 cups mozzarella.  Stir until well combined.  Spread out on prepared cookie sheet.You can also split it between two 9x13 pans for a thinner crust.  It's okay if the mixture doesn't quite touch the sides of the pan they will still cook.

Bake crust (without toppings) at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  You want it to be as crispy as you can without burning the bottom.  Don't be afraid to give it a few extra minutes to get nice and crispy.

Top with pizza sauce, remaining cheese and toppings.  Sprinkle with parmesan and bake for 10-15 more minutes or until cheese is melted and toppings are cooked.  Enjoy!

Taco Salad w/ mixed greens, ground turkey and yellow squash

I love taco salad and I love calabacitas so this recipe was born by mixing the two together.  This salad is so filling and the squash is a healthy replacement for chips. It great because you can have the squash ready for people who want that on their salads and still have tortilla chips for the kiddos! For the meat I cook ground turkey w/ tomatoes and green chilies. I also use mostly mixed greens but add a little shredded iceberg lettuce to add some crunch.  Then top with all your usual taco toppings!

Taco Salad w/ Ground Turkey and Yellow squash

For the meat:

1 lb. lean ground turkey

1 can rotel (diced tomatoes w/green chiles)

2 T. red chile powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

For the squash:

1 medium yellow squash

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 T. olive oil

Salad topping ideas:

mixed greens

shredded lettuce

avocado 

black olives

cheddar cheese

black beans

Annie's cowgirl ranch (or your favorite ranch)

fresh cilantro

salsa

sour cream

green chiles

Brown turkey in a medium frying pan.  Add rotel, chili powder, and garlic powder. Continue cooking until meat is cooked through.

While meat is cooking, thinly slice the squash and saute in olive oil.  When squash is softened (about 7 minutes) add garlic.  Continue to cook 1 min.  

Wash mixed greens and arrange on plate.  Top with meat and squash.  Top with desired toppings and dressing (I use avocados, olives, cheddar, black beans, salsa and ranch)

Chicken and Butternut Squash

So...when I read my husband the list of ingredients he was pretty skeptical but after he tried it he had to admit this recipe was super good!  It had the feeling of comfort food without all those "comforting" calories :) It has lots of yummy spices and uses coconut oil and coconut milk to make it super creamy. And it's super filling!

I found the recipe at heandsheeatclean.com.  I more or less left it alone except to change the spices a little based on what I had.  I also used a steamer pan for the squash instead of boiling it.  It's very easy to make and other than cooking the squash, only takes a few minutes to throw together.  Enjoy!

Chicken and Butternut Squash (4 servings)
1 small butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup coconut cream (skimmed of the top of a can of coconut milk)
1 T. coconut oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
black pepper (to taste)
1 cup green peas (I used frozen)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken

Peel and cube a small butternut squash.  Place in steamer pan for about 30 minutes. (If you don't have a steamer pan you can boil it in a regular sauce pan for about 40 min. and drain)  When squash is cooked place in a medium sauce pan and mash with apple cider vinegar, coconut cream, and coconut oil.  Add spices and stir until well combined.  Add peas and continue to cook until heated through (about 5 minutes).

Serving suggestions: It's very filling by itself but could also be good with brown rice or egg noodles if you want it to go further.