Lovin' From the Oven

Slow Cooker Salsa Ranch Chicken

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The LA VICTORIA® brand, well known for making salsas, taco sauces, enchilada sauces, and chiles, is celebrating their 100th birthday this year! To help celebrate, I’ve created this slow cooker salsa ranch chicken using some of their Thick’N Chunky Salsa Medium. Salsa is such a versatile ingredient in the kitchen and can be used for sides, appetizers, and even main dishes.

They’re also celebrating their 100th birthday in four major cities: San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland. In Los Angeles, it’ll be held at the Santa Monica Pier and Carousel on Thursday, June 1. 100 fans and VIPs will be able to experience “a cultural celebration featuring art, music and dishes made with LA VICTORIA® products.” Also at that dinner, “five finalists will showcase an original piece of visual art that showcases “Modern, West Coast Lifestyle” while giving a nod to the LA VICTORIA® brand, for a chance to win a $7,500 grand prize, while the second- and third-place winners will take home $1,500 and $1,000.”

I’m always down for a delicious dinner by the water, aren’t you? Until then, I’ll be using my collection to top off the majority of my meals. I’m a hot sauce fiend, so it goes on almost everything I eat.

This crockpot dish is as simple as can be. I was able to make it while my toddler played with some pots for a while. She didn’t mind one bit since I was done so quickly.

I must say, you need to serve this ASAP when it’s done, otherwise it dries out from sitting in the crockpot on warm. It’s also best eaten the day of. If you want a saucier dish, add another half can of cream of chicken soup or use less pasta. One box of pasta made a lot of servings!

You can also add a dash of LA VICTORIA® SALSA BRAVA® Hot Sauce if you want a little kick. Since I fed the recipe to my toddler, I didn’t add any in. My little girl ate up the entire dish! Recipe adapted from The Country Cook.

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Slow Cooker Salsa Ranch Chicken

Ingredients

  • 4 frozen chicken breasts
  • 1 1 oz packet of dry ranch dressing mix
  • 1 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 cup LA VICTORIA Thick’N Chunky Salsa Medium
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 16 oz box of pasta (I used fusilli)
  • parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Directions

  1. In a slow cooker, place the four frozen chicken breasts on the bottom.
  2. Sprinkle dry ranch dressing mix over the chicken breasts.
  3. In a bowl, mix together the cream of chicken soup and salsa. Pour over the top of the chicken.
  4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  5. When you have half an hour left, cook the pasta according to the directions.
  6. Shred the chicken and mix in the sour cream.
  7. Stir in the pasta and serve immediately. We sprinkled some parmesan cheese on top to finish it off.
https://lovintheoven.com/slow-cooker-salsa-ranch-chicken/

This is a sponsored post, but the opinions expressed are my own.

Chicken and Bacon Grilled Cheese with Ranch

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Sandwiches are my go-to thing to make for lunch, but they can get a little boring after a while. I try to liven it up by changing the meats, the sauces, the cheese, or the bread. A little can go a long way! Especially if it’s grilled on the stove or pressed in the panini maker.

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This was a hearty sandwich– just what my DH loves. There are no veggies, just the good stuff. If it were up to me, I would’ve added some avocado. Avocado goes well in every sandwich.

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Look at that ooey gooey goodness. You really don’t need a recipe for this, but I’ll include one anyway.

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Chicken and Bacon Grilled Cheese with Ranch

Ingredients

  • 2 slices of bread
  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • 1 chicken breast, sliced into strips and cooked
  • 4 strips turkey bacon, cooked
  • 3 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoons ranch

Directions

  1. Butter one side of each bread and spread ranch on the other side.
  2. Assemble your sandwich together with the butter sides facing out. On one slice of bread, put the cooked bacon, then the cheese, the chicken, and then finally your other piece of bread on top.
  3. Cook in a panini press or on your stovetop with a grilling pan until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted.
https://lovintheoven.com/chicken-and-bacon-grilled-cheese-with-ranch/

Mashed Potato Puffs

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Potatoes are probably the only thing I’ll have on hand at any time. Why? Well, they last a lot longer than other vegetables, are versatile in many dishes, and my DH actually eats them (he’s a picky eater)! You can cook them, bake them, or fry them. Either way, it always turns out delicious.

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As for nutritional value, potatoes are packed with fiber and are naturally gluten-free. They also have more potassium than a banana and vitamin C than one medium sized tomato. Who would have thought that the potato was so mighty?

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I’ve been packing my DH’s lunches for the past couple of months now. This would be a wonderful addition to his lunchbox. They’re already the right size, fit right into the tupperware compartment, and are great reheated. You can also eat them with your hands– no utensils needed! If your New Year’s Resolution is to pack your lunch to save money in 2016, then this is the way to do it.

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As for the flavor, they’re certainly hearty. There’s no bland flavor here. The garlic, the chives, and the sour cream create a match made in heaven with the potatoes and eggs. You could even add some chopped bacon or ham if your heart desires. Either way, this will keep you full throughout your work day.

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I used red potatoes for this recipe, but any potato will do. Use whatever you have on hand or your favorite potato! Recipe adapted from The Kitchn.

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Mashed Potato Puffs

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups mashed potatoes
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 tbsp chopped chives

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 6 cupcake cavities in a pan with nonstick spray.
  2. Mix together the mashed potatoes, eggs, sour cream, heavy cream, garlic powder, garlic salt, and pepper. Stir in cheese and chives.
  3. Spoon the batter into the pan filling the cups just to the top.
  4. Bake 20-25 minutes.
  5. Remove from oven and let them cool 5 minutes in pan before turning them out and letting them cool completely on a wire rack.
https://lovintheoven.com/mashed-potato-puffs/



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