Quesadilla Casserole (Crockpot)

I'm usually not a fan of crockpot recipes that require a lot of pre-cooking, but this one is so good that I'm okay with it! It's fairly simple to pre-cook the meat/sauce mixture and then the crockpot does the rest of the work. My husband and I love Mexican food, so we really liked this new way of preparing it. This dish is very flavorful and just spicy enough for our tastes.


Quesadilla Casserole (Crockpot)
Adapted from Crockin’ Girls

Ingredients:
·1 lb. ground chicken
·½ tsp each – salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
·2 TBS chili powder
·1 TBS minced garlic
·1 tsp cumin
·½ tsp each – oregano, red pepper flakes
·1 medium onion, chopped
·½ bag frozen corn
·1 can Rotel
·1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
·1 cup salsa
·6 soft corn tortillas
·2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Brown chicken, season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Drain. Add everything else except tortillas and cheese. Mix well and heat thoroughly. Spoon ¼ of mixture into bottom of crockpot. Place 2 tortillas on top. For the second layer, spoon ¼ mixture of mixture on top of tortillas, top with a large handful of cheese, and 2 more tortillas. Repeat for a third layer. Top with remaining meat mixture and cheese. Place lid on crockpot and heat on low for 3 hours.

Angel Chicken (Crockpot)

When does Daylight's Savings Time start again? I'm ready for it to be daylight when I get home from work so I can take pictures in natural light and my meals will look more appetizing. While looking at this picture of Angel Chicken doesn't look too appetizing, I promise this meal was delicious. If you're not gluten free, you can substitute all of the spices with a packet of dry Italian seasoning mix. I served with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots.

Angel Chicken (Crockpot)
Adapted from Crockin’ Girls

Ingredients:
·4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
·2 TBS butter
·½ TBS each – garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, parsley, salt
·1 TBS each – oregano, chives
·½ tsp each – pepper, basil
·¼ tsp each – thyme, celery seed
·Cream of Anything Soup Base (follow recipe to make one can substitute)
·1 – 8oz. can sliced mushrooms
·½ cup dry white wine
·4 – oz cream cheese
·¼ - ½ cup onions, chopped
·12 oz. gluten free spaghetti noodles

Directions:
Put all ingredients into the crockpot except the pasta. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Shred the chicken mixture. Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain. Mix pasta and chicken together; serve.

Creamy Avocado Pasta with Tomatoes and Mushrooms

What this dish lacks in appearance it makes up for in flavor. This creamy pasta dish is deceptive. It's creamy and rich; you'd never know the sauce was made with healthy avocados.

Creamy Avocado Pasta with Tomatoes and Mushrooms
Adapted from The Flourishing Foodie

Ingredients:
·12 oz. gluten free spaghetti noodles
·2 ripe avocados, seeded and peeled
·2 TBS extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
·1 tsp minced garlic
·½ tsp salt
·Juice of 1 lemon
·1 – 14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes, drained and chopped
·1 – 6.5 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
·¼ cup slivered almonds, chopped
·¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
·Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package. Add avocados, oil, garlic, salt, and lemon juice to a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are smooth and creamy. Strain the pasta; stir with the sauce in a large bowl. Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms, almonds, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

I'm Back with New Recipes!

Hi everyone!

I'm slowly getting back into blogging at As Good As Gluten. My life has slowly started to settle down after relocating, moving, a new home, and new jobs for my husband and I. It's far from normal, as we still have a lot of organizing and decorating to do, but I have my kitchen back after a few months of living with family (thank you family - you all are amazing!).

My goal is to start sharing recipes occasionally, as I don't think I'll be able to blog as frequently as I used to for awhile. Today, I want to share some new recipes I've tried over the past few months. I don't have pictures - sorry. However, most of the links to the recipes below have great pictures. Over the past few months, I was concerned with just putting together the dish and didn't even think about pictures. I did; however, keep track of any alterations I made to the recipe to make it gluten free (and in some instances, healthier) and will share those with you.

Sausage, Grape, and Pasta Skillet - This was a great fall dish, but I did think it was missing something. If you try this recipe and have a suggestion, let me know! In this dish, there was a good balance of sweetness from the grapes and spice from the sausage and red pepper. The only change I made was that I used Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta Shells to make the pasta gluten free.

Cheese, Potato, and Smoked Sausage Casserole - This dish consists of potatoes and smoked sausage smothered in cheese sauce. It's pure comfort food that is perfect for cold, winter nights. It's not so perfect for your health, but I believe everything is good in moderation. I used Homemade Gluten Free Flour to make the dish gluten free. And, instead of using Velveeta cheese, I used 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes Brulee - I made this side dish for Thanksgiving a few months ago, and it was a huge hit! This dish is mashed sweet potatoes with a crunchy brown sugar brulee topper. Yum! I didn't change anything about the recipe as it is naturally gluten free and healthier.

Spicy Romano Chicken with Artichoke Hearts & Sundried Tomatoes - My sister made this dish for dinner a few months ago and it was AMAZING! We've since made it with our family on multiple occasions. For the meat, we use a combination of cooked shredded chicken and cooked chicken sausage. When I've made it, I used Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta Shells to make the pasta gluten free and half 'n half instead of cream to try to make it a little healthier. This is another must-try recipe.

Mushroom Quinoa Risotto - I believe this is the first new recipe I cooked when we moved into our new home last month. When I set the dinner table, I apologized to my husband in advance in case he didn't like it. I thought he would turn his nose up at the sight of mushrooms and quinoa for dinner. We both took our first bites and absolutely loved it! It was incredibly flavorful and fairly healthy. I didn't make any major changes to the recipe.

General Tso’s Chicken (Crockpot) - This was a quick and healthy Chinese fake-out meal we enjoyed a few weeks ago. The flavor was great and it was easy to prepare.

Fiesta Chicken Casserole (Crockpot) - I was disappointed in this recipe. It was one I was really looking forward to, but the it didn't have enough flavor. What I did like about this recipe is that the rice was cooked in the crockpot along with the chicken. I'll be using that method next time I make Santa Fe Chicken (Crockpot).

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars - OMG, these cookie dough bars are AMAZING! I made them for Super Bowl and they were a huge hit. There is nothing about them that is good for you, except the taste, of course. To make them gluten free, I used Homemade Gluten Free Oat Flour 
which added a great oatmeal-like taste to the bars. Forget about any diet you are following, you must go make these now. Then, cut them up into really small squares and take them to a party to share the love (and calories)!

Spicy Sausage Pasta - This dish is a grown-up version of mac & cheese with hot dogs stirred in. It was an immediate husband pleaser, and I devoured it too. We (ahem) I pulled myself away from the pan in order to reserve any leftovers for myself and my brother to try the next day. To make this gluten free and a bit healthier, I used Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta Shells and half 'n half instead of cream.

Peanut Chicken (Crockpot) - This dish is sweet and savory with the combination of peanut butter and salsa. Mike liked the meal savory; I, however, added an extra spoonful of peanut butter to my bowl and enjoyed it sweeter. I used gluten free soy sauce to make the recipe gluten free and served over brown rice.


Thanks for your patience over the last few months (and over the next few months).! I hope to post a new recipe (with pictures) sometime in the next week.

Lauren