Day: January 20, 2022

This Chicken Taco Salad is packed with fresh veggies and protein! Taco-seasoned chicken is cooked in a zesty cilantro lime sauce, then tossed in a spinach salad loaded with beans, avocado and corn. A hearty helping of cheese, salsa and tortilla strips make this the best taco salad ever!

It’s not hard to eat your veggies when they taste like a taco!

If you think all salads are boring, I’m about to change your mind. You couldn’t make a salad more hearty or satisfying than this Chicken Taco Salad if you tried.

SAVE THIS EASY TACO SALAD RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

Today’s salad is definitely MEAL WORTHY. It takes all the delicious components of a taco and all the good-for-you nutrients of a big green salad and tosses them together in one filling dish.

Why This Taco Salad is Best

• Lots of variety – I love that every bite of this salad has a different combination of textures and flavors.
• Flavorful chicken – Cooked with taco seasoning and lime, it’s the perfect zesty juicy protein for a salad.
• Customizable – Mix and match your favorite vegetables and taco toppings to your heart’s content.
• Hearty and satisfying salad – With lots of chicken, avocado and beans, no one will be left hungry after this meal!

Best of all, this salad is quick and easy to make. Including the time it takes to cook the ground chicken and chop up your produce, the Chicken Taco Salad is ready to eat in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for an easy dinner or a fantastic lunch.

What do I need?

We uses these ingredients to make our taco salad:

• ground chicken
• homemade taco seasoning
• lime juice
• cilantro
• baby spinach
• black beans
• corn
• orange bell pepper
• red onion
• avocado
• cherry tomatoes
• Mexican style shredded cheese
• Chunky salsa
• Tortilla strips
• Sour cream – an optional, but delicious, topping.

Does this salad have dressing?

I found that this salad didn’t need the addition of dressing. The combination of juices from the chicken, creaminess of the avocado and spicy tang of the red salsa made dressing seem redundant.

Add some freshly squeezed lime juice, and put a dollop of sour cream on top and you’ll be good to go!

Fresh or frozen corn?

You can make this chicken taco salad with either fresh corn kernels or frozen and thawed corn. I don’t recommend canned corn, as the flavor isn’t as fresh (and it tends to be on the saltier side).

Can I cook the chicken ahead of time?

You sure can. Follow the instructions for seasoning and browning the ground chicken, then store it in an airtight container until you’re ready to assemble your salad.

I like this salad best when the chicken is warm and the other ingredients are cool, so I would reheat the chicken in the microwave or on the stove for a bit to warm it up first.

Salad Recipes

When I make a salad, I want it to be full of flavor and an exciting mix of ingredients.

If you’re craving a lighter salad with a hint of sweetness, try my Strawberry Spinach Salad next. This Greek Quinoa Chicken Salad is another good-for-you salad my family loves.

In the summer, we eat these Avocado Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps constantly. They’re so refreshing when the weather is warm!

More salads you’ll love . . .

• 4-Bean Tuna Pasta Salad
• Easy Macaroni Salad
• Loaded Red Bliss Potato Salad
• Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad
• Tex-Mex Pasta Salad
• Tropical Quinoa Salad
• Sausage Veggie Pasta Salad

Recipes with Taco Seasoning

Homemade taco seasoning has been a total game changer for quick weeknight meals. I make a big batch and keep on hand to make everything from Taco Hummus Wraps to Chicken Taco Dip. It’s so much more affordable than store bought packets and tastes world’s better.

After you’ve made this taco salad recipe, you can reserve the rest of your taco seasoning to make these other reader favorite taco (and taco inspired) recipes too.

• Taco Braid
• Shrimp Tacos
• Mexican Breakfast Casserole
• Crockpot Taco Chicken
• Crunchy Taco Chicken
• Taco Casserole
• Easy Layered Taco Dip

So many tacos to eat, so little time!

Chicken Taco Salad is a hearty, flavorful, meal-worthy salad that’ll get you excited to eat your veggies!

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Chicken Taco Salad

This Chicken Taco Salad is packed with fresh veggies and protein! Taco-seasoned chicken is cooked in a zesty cilantro lime sauce, then tossed in a spinach salad loaded with beans, avocado and corn. A hearty helping of cheese, salsa and tortilla strips make this the best taco salad ever!

Course Dinners, Lunches

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Chicken Taco Salad, Taco Salad

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 566kcal

Author Lynne Feifer

Equipment

• 1 large bowl or serving platter
• 1 Large skillet

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
• ¼ cup water
• half lime juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for garnish, if desired
• 5 cups baby spinach
• 15 ounces low sodium black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn thawed (can use fresh!)
• 1 orange pepper seeded and sliced
• ⅓ cup sliced red onion
• ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 avocado diced
• 1 cup Mexican Style Shredded Cheese
• 1 cup chunky salsa or regular
• ½ cup tortilla strips
• sour cream, sliced jalapeños if desired

Instructions

• Cook the chicken in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the taco seasoning, water, lime juice, and cilantro. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• Place the spinach onto a large platter. Add half the black beans, corn, pepper, onion, tomatoes, and cheese.
• Evenly distribute the seasoned chicken over the top. Cover with remaining black beans, corn, pepper, onion, tomatoes and cheese.
• Top with salsa, tortilla strips.
• Serve with sour cream and slice jalapeños.

Nutrition

Serving: 1person | Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 948mg | Potassium: 1879mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5286IU | Vitamin C: 64mg | Calcium: 428mg | Iron: 5mg

The post Chicken Taco Salad appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.

 Strawberry Spinach Salad brings fresh ingredients and pop of color to your table! Tossed with poppy seed dressing, this easy salad recipe can be served as a side dish or topped with chicken for a light meal. 

Hold onto your hat. This is a salad you’ll actually be EXCITED to eat! 

Look, I’m not usually the first person in the room to rave about salad. This Strawberry Spinach Salad, though? It’s worthy of all the praise I’m about to heap upon its leafy greens. 

The combination of fresh spinach with sweet strawberries and juicy mandarin oranges absolutely explodes with flavor! Add the sweet and sour dressing and a handful of crunchy almond slices and this salad is not only healthy–it’s downright crave-able!

SAVE THIS STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

Salad with strawberries and spinach make me think of breezy summer days and gardens overflowing with abundance. It’s totally perfect for the warmer weather, but I also love to make this salad in the depths of winter to give me a little morale boost (not to mention a nutritional boost!).
Sitting down to a brightly colored bowl of greens and berries is a great reminder that spring is coming. 

Whether you’re a total salad enthusiast or looking for new ways to enjoy your greens this year, you’re going to love this easy spinach salad with poppy seed dressing. 

What do I need?

One of my favorite things about this salad is that there are so many ways to customize it based on your taste preferences, or what’s in season. Here’s what I put in my basic strawberry spinach salad to start with:

• Fresh spinach – Baby spinach leaves are my preference! 
• Sliced strawberries
• Mandarin oranges – The canned variety with juices drained.
• Sliced almonds – Slivered almond pieces are perfect. 

The poppy seed dressing has these ingredients:

• sugar
• apple cider vinegar
• poppy seeds
• minced onion
• paprika
• Worcestershire sauce
• canola oil 

I’ve also made this salad plenty of times with variations like fresh blueberries, walnuts or pecans. It’s so easy to mix it up so you never get bored. 

Can I add chicken or another protein?

Absolutely! Grilled chicken turns this spinach salad into a satisfying and healthy meal. You can even go the super easy route and pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store to serve on top of this salad. 

I love goat cheese and if you do, too, you’ll find that it’s a delicious addition to spinach and strawberry salads. Feta cheese is another great option! 

Salad Recipes

Gone are the days of squeezing bottled dressing over wilted iceberg lettuce and calling it a salad. Spinach based salads are my go-to for quick and easy side salads these days. They just have so much more flavor and have more nutritional value, too.

Spinach and arugula are the main greens at play in this Couscous Chicken Salad. It’s loaded with bell peppers, mushrooms and feta too, then finished with a spicy paprika dressing.

Looking for a great low-carb lunch idea? These Avocado Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps are delicious and easy to make!

 Greek Quinoa Chicken Salad makes a regular appearance on our lunch and dinner menus, especially in the summer. With or without the olives, the flavor is incredible.

What to serve with Strawberry Spinach Salad?

As a side dish, this spinach salad pairs perfectly with almost any main dish. It’s delicious served with Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken and a basket of Dinner Rolls for a Sunday dinner.

Today’s salad recipe makes a great addition to a potluck meal too. Bring a big bowl of this salad and some BBQ Pork Mac & Cheese for a balance of hearty and healthy dishes!

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The best Strawberry Spinach Salad comes together in no time. Bursting with juicy mandarin oranges and sweet strawberries, it’s a salad that packs in as much flavor as it does nutrients!

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Strawberry Spinach Salad

Perfect for summer, this Strawberry Spinach Salad is full of flavor! It makes use of fresh strawberries, spinach, mandarin oranges and sliced almonds. Toss it with the sweet and sour poppy seed dressing and serve it as a side or add chicken to make it a main course. 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 556kcal

Author Lynne Feifer

Ingredients

Poppy Seed Dressing

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 ½ teaspoons minced onion
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup canola oil

Salad

• 9 ounce bag fresh spinach
• 16 ounces fresh strawberries sliced
• 15 ounces mandarin oranges drained
• ½ cup sliced almonds

Instructions

Poppy Seed Dressing

• In a blender, combine the sugar, apple cider vinegar, poppy seeds, onion,  paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Blend until well combined.
• With the blender on low, slowly pour in the canola oil through the opening of the cover. Mix thoroughly.
• In a large salad bowl, place spinach, strawberries, drained mandarin oranges, and almonds.
• Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. 

Nutrition

Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 844mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 6780IU | Vitamin C: 113mg | Calcium: 221mg | Iron: 3.3mg

The post Strawberry Spinach Salad {with Poppy Seed Dressing} appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.

M&Ms Valentine Blondies are blondies with a colorful twist! You’ll love this classic blondies recipe dotted with red, pink and white M&Ms candies. Sweet, chewy and fun to eat, these M&M Blondies are the perfect treat to bake for that someone special.

You can even be your own “someone special” if it gives you an excuse to make (and eat) M&M blondies!

All I want for Valentine’s Day is for someone to surprise me with a breakfast in bed of Chocolate Cherry Pancakes for breakfast. Since I’m the pancake maker in the house, that doesn’t sound likely (but a girl can dream, right?).

SAVE THIS BLONDIE RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE  PINTEREST BOARD!

What I DO know for sure is that I’ll be baking a batch of these Valentine’s Day Blondies again on February 14th! Yes, I’ll share them with the other members of my household, but you can bet your last M&M I’m gonna stash a couple away just for me.

What are blondies?

Blondies are similar in consistency to a chewy, fudgy brownie, but without the chocolate. They have a sweet vanilla flavor that reminds me of chocolate chip cookie dough. Baked in one pan, then sliced into bars, blondies are the perfect handheld dessert for any occasion!

As much as I love a straightforward classic blondie, I think they’re even better when you add mix-ins.
Besides, everything is better with chocolate, right?

For this Valentine’s Day dessert, I kept it simple. A handful of Valentines M&Ms transformed the basic blondie bars into an adorable and festive treat that’ll get even the biggest cynic ready to celebrate love.

What do I need?

To make these Valentine’s M&Ms Blondies, you will need:

• flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• butter
• brown sugar
• egg
• vanilla extract
• Valentine M&Ms

Desserts with M&Ms are some of my favorites for holiday baking. It’s so easy to switch up favorite recipes just by using different colors of M&Ms. If you want to make these blondies for other holidays, just swap out the M&Ms for another combination of colors. Or use a regular multi colored mix to enjoy these blondies all year long!

Can I freeze blondies?

Yes, blondies will hold up well to freezing. To freeze blondies, let them cool, then slice them into bars. Store the bars in a freezer safe sealed bag with parchment paper between layers. They stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Valentine Desserts

As a rule of thumb, I like to make a couple of different desserts on special holidays. First, because my family is known to eat up all of my baked goods before I even get a chance to enjoy them. Second, because no one is ever disappointed to have EXTRA desserts!

These JELL-O Valentine Hearts are super easy and a hit with the kids. For the grown ups, Wasabi Chocolate Crinkle Cookies deliver rich cocoa flavor with a surprising kick. And you can never go wrong with frosted cookies, especially these Strawberry Buttercream Sugar Cookies that are pretty in pink!

Speaking of all things strawberry, these Chocolate Covered Strawberry Dream Bars are like chocolate-dipped strawberries and whipped cream all in one. They’d be an amazing addition to your Valentine’s Day celebrations, along with this Strawberry Poke Cake.

Bars and Cookie Recipes

If you like these M&M Blondies, here are a few more cookie bar recipes to try next.

• Magic Cookie Bars
• Toffee Coconut Oatmeal Bars
• Salted Caramel Cashew Brownie Bites
• Chocolate Overload Loaded Brownies
• TWIX® Bites Brownies
• PB & Fluff Brownies
• Strawberry Cheesecake Dream Bars
• No Bake Turtle Dream Bars

Tell someone you love them with a batch of red and pink M&M Blondies this Valentine’s Day!

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M&M Valentine Blondies

M&M Valentine Blondies with a colorful twist! You'll love this classic blondies recipe dotted with red, pink and white M&Ms candies. Sweet, chewy and fun to eat, these M&M Blondies are the perfect treat to bake for that someone special.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Blondies, M&M Blondies, Valentine Blondies

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 12 bars

Calories 211kcal

Author Lynne Feifer

Equipment

• 1 8 X 8-inch baking pan
• 2 Mixing bowls
• 1 silicone spatula

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Pinch salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter melted
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup Valentine M&M's

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8X8 pan by buttering it and lightly dusting with flour.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together.
• Mix in the egg and vanilla.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine thoroughly.
• Add the M&M’s and mix.
• Place batter into the pan and spread evenly
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Place on a wire rack and cool before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 269IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

This post was originally published on 2/12/15, and has been updated with photos and in format on 1/19/22.

The post M&M Valentine Blondies appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.

Iced Sugar Cookie Latte is a non-dairy, iced coffee drink made with homemade sugar cookie-flavored syrup, light roast espresso, and almond milk. You might also like my Pumpkin Spice Latte, another Starbucks copycat drink.

Iced Sugar Cookie Latte

This drink is a copycat of Starbuck’s Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte. The drink is slightly sweet and just became available at Starbucks on November 4. But, there is no need to wait in long lines to get sipping on this refreshing caffeinated drink. The Starbucks employee who came up with this drink said she was inspired by spritz cookies, which also have a buttery and vanilla flavor, like the sugar cookie syrup added to the drink. (I would think it should be inspired by sugar cookies, but what do I know

Snowed-in White Hot Chocolate Cocktail is an adult beverage made in a slow cooker with white chocolate, whipping cream, milk, vanilla, and RumChata. For another fun winter cocktail, try my Drunken Snowman Cocktail.

Snowed-In White Chocolate Hot Cocoa Cocktail

This alcoholic drink is perfect on those cold, snowy days. In fact, we are just starting to get quite a bit of snow and some frigid temperatures. We will be lucky to get above 0°F in the next couple of days! So, while your kids enjoy their hot chocolate, get out a slow cooker and make a batch of this adult version of white hot chocolate. And, be sure to have some whipped topping to add on top!

Cocktail Ingredients

This cocktail is made in a slow cooker, so it is super easy to throw together.

White Chocolate: A 12-ounce bag of white chocolate chips will give you the white chocolate flavor. If you are not a fan of white chocolate, try milk chocolate!

Heavy Whipping Cream: Heavy whipping cream is at least 30% fat (as opposed to half and half, which is only 10-18% fat). If you have some heavy cream leftover, use it to make some whipped cream hearts to add to the hot chocolate cocktail.

Milk: I prefer whole milk for a richer, creamier cocktail. However, you could use the milk of your choice.

RumChata Cream Liqueur: This cream-based liqueur is made with rum, cinnamon, and vanilla. Baileys is another creamy liqueur, but with chocolate flavor and Irish whiskey. However, Baileys does have a vanilla and cinnamon liqueur that you could use in this drink. If preferred, you could leave out the liqueur. If you leave it out try adding in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

Garnish: Don’t forget the whipped cream and crushed candy canes for some added flavor and pizazz.

How to Make a Snowed-In White Chocolate Hot Cocoa Cocktail

If you have a slow cooker, this cocktail is so easy to make! And, with the cooking time being done for you for about an hour to an hour and a half, it’s the perfect amount of time to get your shoveling, sledding, or other fun winter activities done! Then, it’s time to warm up with this snowed-in white chocolate cocktail.

To make this cocktail, first, add the white chocolate chips, heavy whipping cream, milk, and vanilla to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot and the white chocolate chips have melted.

Once warm and ready to be served, add the RumChata to the drink. Top off each glass with some whipped topping and crushed candy canes. This drink will warm you up in no time!

 

Can I Make this Cocktail without a Slow Cooker?

Yes! Don’t skip on making this warm cocktail just because you don’t have a slow cooker or crockpot. To make this drink without a slow cooker, simply melt the white chocolate chips, heavy whipping cream, milk, and vanilla in a large saucepan over low heat.

Once the chocolate has melted and the ingredients are warm, add the RumChata and serve! And, don’t forget the whipped topping and peppermint candies! Cheers!

Looking for More Cocktail Recipes?

White Chocolate Martini

Classic White Russian

Naughty White Russian

Sugar Cookie Cocktail

Snowed-In White Chocolate Hot Cocoa Cocktail

Snowed-in White Chocolate Hot Cocoa Cocktail is an adult beverage made in a slow cooker with white chocolate, whipping cream, milk, vanilla, and RumChata.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Snowed-In White Hot Chocolate Cocktail

Servings: 8

Calories: 403kcal

Author: Amanda Rettke–iambaker.net

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (12 ounces, 252g) white chocolate chips
• 1 cup (238g) heavy whipping cream
• 6 cups (1.47kg) milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup RumChata cream liqueur
• whipped cream, for garnish
• crushed candy canes, for garnish

Instructions

• In the bowl of a slow cooker, add the white chocolate chips, whipping cream, milk, and vanilla.
• Cover and cook on low for 1 to 1½ hours, stirring occasionally, until hot and the white chocolate chips are melted.
• After cooking, (when ready to serve), add the RumChata.
• Serve warm, garnished with whipped cream and crushed candy canes.

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcal

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!