Microwave Miracle Chicken Tortilla Soup

Okay this was absolutely the best meal I've made so far!

This is a family favorite slow cooker recipe from allrecipes.com for Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup by Elena.  But I like it so much better in the Miracle Dish; the veggies still have a bit of a crunch.  My husband thought the chicken didn't have quite as much flavor, but he liked the crunchy veggies, so he though it was a great give and take and gave it a 9. Phew, passed the husband test.  Now the kids loved this the first day, but leftovers the next day was a bit too spicy for them, so they gave it a 4.

Oh, the only part of this test that failed was the amount of ingredients, there are A LOT of spices.  I find I don't have the patience to open more than 3 spice jars.  Hmmm, maybe that's just me, but next time I'm going to try substituting the long list of spices with 1 Taco Seasoning packet.  I will also try using leftover shredded chicken instead of frozen.  That will be for Chicken Tortilla Soup - The Sequel.

Microwave Miracle Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ready in: 36 min     Est. Cost:  $17.28 

Ingredients

1 lbs Frozen Chicken Tenders	$4.40
1 Onion - chopped	0.45
1 cup Frozen Corn Kernels	2.00
1 (15oz) can Diced Tomatoes	1.00
1 (10oz) can Enchilada Sauce	1.69
1/2 (4oz) can Chopped Green Chili Peppers	0.69
1 (14.5oz) can Chicken Broth	1.00
1 cup Water
2 Cloves Garlic - pressed
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Salt & 1/4 tsp Pepper
1 Bay Leaf
2 tsp Dried Cilantro
Toppings:
Bag of Tortilla Chips	2.00
Sour Cream	0.25
Shredded Cheese	1.00
Sides:
Bag of Salad	2.00
1 Box Corn Bread Mix, 1/3 c Milk,& 1 egg	0.80
Total Estimated Cost	$17.28

Instructions

The Prep - 5 Min

Chop Onions. Use lid to chop on.
(No washing a cutting board + 1)

Place Frozen Chicken, Onion, Corn, Tomatoes, Enchilada Sauce, Chiles, Broth and Water in Dish.

Add Garlic, Cumin, Chili Powder, Salt & Pepper, Bay Leaf, and Cilantro.
Stir it up.

Cooking - 36 Min

Put Lid on and Microwave on High for 30 Minutes.

Check that the lid is still in place every once in a while, I can't seem to get mine perfectly centered and sometimes it gets knocked off a bit.

Oh and this will be HEAVY so be CAREFUL PLEASE!!!

Either pre-mix Boxed Corn Bread mix in another bowl.
-or-
Wait until soup is done and use the Lid as a mixing bowl. (No washing mixing bowl +1)

DO NOT cover, and Microwave on High for 3 min. Just until the center rises.

If you want the Cornbread browned on top, just put it under the Broiler for about 1:30 min.

The Miracle Dish instructions said to not use it under the broiler, but using my own common sense, deduced that I could lower the rack and have the time exposed be short. 
I was especially not afraid of it cracking since it was already hot.

Serve the Salad on the side, keep Soup in the Dish and the Corn Bread in the Lid, for a lovely presentation.

(No washing serving dishes  +2)

Top with Shredded Cheese, Sour Cream, and Tortilla Chips.

Seriously this was FANTASTIC, I'm getting hungry again just looking at the pics. : )

Enjoy!

Fast Family Feast Test:  Passed! Ready in 36 minutes.


My Score: 10
Husband Score: 9
Kid's Score: 6

Note: Recipe tested in a 900 watt microwave

Microwave Miracle Dish Italian Sausage & Potatoes

This dish was awesome. I cooked it a little long (36 Min), so they weren't "plump" per say, but I'm always a bit scared of cooking pork; period. When I do them on the grill, they usually end up as jerky. I never can seem to tell if it is still pink, if the juices are clear, etc... So after this dish  I made sure to get my cooking thermometer to check so I don't over cook things, and so I can give you the best time estimates I can!

Let me know how 32 Minutes works for you!

Microwave Miracle Dish Italian Sausage, Potatoes, and Green Beans

Ready in: 42 min     Est. Cost:  $13.10 

Ingredients

Ingredient	Price
2 lbs Frozen Mild Italian Sausage Links	$8.00
1 onion	0.45
7 Med Potatoes	2.00
Salt & Pepper	~0.05
1 tsp Olive Oil	~0.10
Side: Steam-able Bag Frozen Green Beans	$2.50
Total Estimated Cost	$13.10

Instructions

The Prep - 3 Min

Coarsely chop Potatoes and Onion, place in Dish. Use lid to chop on. (No washing a cutting board + 1)

Sprinkle potatoes with Salt and Pepper to taste, drizzle Olive Oil, and mix.

Place Frozen Sausage on top, and put the Lid on.
I will also be trying this raw and post the timing.

Cooking - 39 Min

Microwave on High for 15 minutes. Remove Miracle Dish, use potholders. 

Rearrange the sausage for even browning. Finish Microwaving on High for 17 minutes.

Carefully check internal temperature of at least 165 F.  If not up to temp yet, replace lid and microwave in 2 minute increments until done.

Cook Steam-able Frozen Bag of Green Beans in the microwave for recommended time. 5-8 minutes.


Serve Green Beans in Lid. 

(No washing serving dish  +1)

Enjoy!

General Cooking Guidelines

1 lb Frozen Pork Sausage = 15 to 17 minutes

Fast Family Feast Test:  Passed! Ready in 42 minutes.


Note: Recipe tested in a 900 watt microwave

Miracle Dish Cheesy Meatloaf

Who knew? Meatloaf in the microwave could be so yummy! My family really enjoyed this last night. I usually cook this in the oven, where it comes out a bit more caramelized, but honestly I didn't miss that.

Okay...A few notes before we get started. 

1. When you have a lot of food in your Miracle Dish, DO NOT flip your Lid upside down so it sits inside the Dish.  Which I thought would be a good idea so I could heat up the veggies on top! Genius! Well no...*blow to ego* It won't ruin the food, it just makes a hugenormous mess in the microwave with the bubbly liquid, in this case grease, coming up and out into the microwave.
2. Now I don't know if this is normally how they are made, but my Lid does not fit snugly onto my Dish. I would love to hear how your's fits. ***UPDATE**** Spoke with my consultant and this normal and how they fit.  Phew!

Now Back to the Show... 

Recipe

Item	Price
2 lbs Ground Beef	$5.60
1 cup Quick Cooking Oats	0.45
2 Large Eggs	0.40
2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese	2.50
1 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Pepper	~0.01 ~0.00
1 cup Milk	0.21
1/2 cup Brown Sugar - Packed	0.20
3/4 cup Ketchup	0.60
Total Price	$9.97

Instructions

The Prep - 5 Min

Combine the first 6 ingredients, use the Miracle Dish as the mixing bowl. After thoroughly mixed place the loaf in the Lid to empty the Dish for the next step.  (No washing a mixing bowl + 1)

Spread the Brown Sugar out, covering the bottom of the Dish.  Press it down so its fairly firm.

Gently spread Ketchup over the brown sugar.Place loaf back in the dish, packing it down gently. Cover with Lid.

Cooking - 32 Min

Microwave on High for 25 minutes. Remove Miracle Dish, use potholders. Carefully remove Lid and check internal temperature of at least 160 F.  If not ready yet, replace lid and microwave in 2 minute increments until done.

Put your steam-able bag of broccoli in the microwave for recommended time.  I buy the family pack and it takes 7 minutes.

Pour the grease off the meatloaf by offsetting the lid a bit and pouring it out. 

Now here is the tricky part, and you have to be fast. With the lid on snugly, turn over the whole Miracle Dish. Mine made quite a mess, but I didn't flip it very fast.

Let meatloaf sit with Lid on until Broccoli is done.

Carefully lift Dish off the Lid, steam will escape, revealing a beautifully glazed Meatlloaf. (No washing a serving platter +1)

Serve broccoli in Dish. 

(No washing serving dish  +1)

Enjoy!

General Cooking Guidelines

1 lb Ground Beef = 10 to 12 minutes

Note: Recipe tested in a 900 watt microwave

Fast Family Feast Test:  Passed! Ready in 37 minutes.

Meal Plan: Week 1

Okay, so I hate shopping!

There I said it. I don't know if it is because: I have the kids with me, re-realizing how much food prices keep going up, the fact I just have a hard time finding everything I want at one store, or just because I hate wasting my time.

This is where I was going to put a picture of a completely stressed out mom with her kids grocery shopping.  But instead you get this; because the stock photos only show HELPFUL children and SMILING moms with empty shopping carts.  It is actually quite funny, no one is THAT happy shopping.

So I go shopping once a week.  That's it, sorry kids we ran out of TP, use the papertowel, we are NOT going shopping until tomorrow. Just joking...we use Kleenex.
So, instead of shopping two times a week, or going to Walgreen's for the quick carton of milk. I am now a devoted meal planner.  Since I only shop once a week, I eat my fresh veggies and salads at the beginning of the week and have frozen steam-able packages of veggies for the end of the week. Super fast, easy, and the next best thing to fresh veggies.
I will post the 5 meals that I will make for the week.  The portions are fairly large so I'm assuming I will have leftovers. We will see how this week goes.  *Fingers crossed*

Meal Plan: Week 1

• Italian Sausage w/ Potatoes and Green Beans
• Meatloaf w/ Broccoli
• Chicken Tortilla Soup w/ Cornbread and Salad
• Majedra (Lentils and Rice) w/ Salad
• Chuck Roast w/ Carrots and Potatoes

The only one I am really nervous about is the chuck roast. Its such a large cut of meat to mess up, and I have NO idea how it will come out in the microwave. I'll make sure I have some leftovers in the fridge ready just in case this fails.

I will be creating a page with PDFs of the Shopping List and Recipes. Check back soon... : )

Hope this week's meal plan sounds good to you, I'm excited about it and can't wait to get started!!

My Miracle Dish is Here!

Unbeknownst to my new Miracle Dish that arrived today from Princess House, it awaits a life of trials, tests, experiments, and yummy deliciousness. Why? Because, it will be put through my Fast Family Feast Test every night.

What is the Fast Family Feast Test you may ask? It is my personal test as to what makes an awesome meal - it doesn't just need to taste great, but it needs to be something I can whip up pretty darn fast.

The Fast Family Feast Test

• On the table in less than 45 minutes 

• Low prep time 

• Short ingredient list

• Husband and kid approved

• Clean eating

• Under $10

The reason I am starting this blog...  

A lot of my staple recipes just take to long to cook, require too much prep, too long in the oven, or I have to babysit it on the stove.

Being a stay-at-home mom of three and running a home business is hard enough, without slaving away in the kitchen all afternoon.  So after seeing how simple and fast the Miracle Chicken was to cook in the Miracle Dish, ideas just started running... ooh meatloaf, stuffed cabbage, chicken tortilla soup, majedra, baked kibbi, tuna casserole...the list goes on and on.  But, I couldn't find a lot of microwave recipes for it.  I know more than 20 recipes can be cooked in the Miracle Dish in the microwave. I am here to find them all!

Also, I do have to say I absolutely LOVE my slow cooker.  The only problem I have, is that I can't always get the meal started 6-8 hours before it needs to be ready. And then I'm stuck with food that I can't easily make for dinner that night. I know, I'll stop complaining. I'm just trying to find a better solution that works for our family.

I have to start somewhere, and most will be experimentation, but I'm going to chronicle my meals, tracking my successes and failures, and will hopefully help you find more recipes to make in your Miracle Dish.