Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

Tomatillos are one of those things that I am just figuring out what to do with. I remember as a kid peeling the husks off them all summer long since my mom grew them in her garden but all I remember her really making was her tomatillo salsa.

Every once in awhile I end up with a small bag of them from a friend or our produce delivery. Never enough to actually make a whole batch of salsa with. But now I can say I have two recipes that use tomatillos. One is my green chicken chili, which I promise to post soon, and the other is this incredible Creamy Tomatillo Chicken recipe.

If you can prepare the sauce the night before it is perfect for a busy workday. Just come home, take the marinated chicken out of the bag, and bake. After marinating for that long you are sure to get a super juicy and flavorful chicken breast. The ranch gives it a nice refreshing quality while the cilantro and lime give it a little zip! While I served this with rice which was awesome, I really want to try the chicken chopped up over some greens with corn, black beans, and some red bell pepper. The sauce would make for an amazing dressing over a little southwest salad!

INGREDIENTS
1 c mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
2 1/2 tsp garlic
1 c cilantro leaves
4 tomatillos, husked and chopped
1 tsp lime juice
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

GARNISHES (Optional)
Lime wedges
Extra cilantro leaves

STEPS

Add into a blender the mayonnaise, buttermilk, ranch dressing mix, garlic, cilantro, tomatillos, and lime juice.
Blend until well combined and transfer about half of the mix to a one-gallon Ziploc Bag.
Add the chicken to the bag and seal tightly.
Store the chicken in the fridge and marinade anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight.
Transfer the remaining marinade in a small bowl, cover, and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
When ready to begin cooking preheat the oven to 375º and transfer the chicken breasts to a baking dish.
Dispose of the leftover marinade.
Bake the chicken for 20–25 minutes or until cooked completely through.
Transfer the cooked chicken to the plate and poor the additional sauce over the top.
Garnish with a lime wedge and some fresh cilantro leaves.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Creme de la Crumb.

I don’t care if you are retired, a stay at home mom, a working individual, or even unemployed; everyone needs a quick, cheap, and easy dinner from time to time. When I find myself in this situation I go to my favorite kitchen appliance, my crock-pot. My crock-pot is freaking amazing. I toss in a couple simple ingredients before I go to work, I come home, and dinner is done. You rock my socks crock-pot! These pork chops come out super tender (practically falling apart) and the sauce is creamy and flavorful. If you are wondering what to serve them with I recommend some mashed potatoes or even white rice. Unfortunately the crock-pot isn’t much a multitasker so with this recipe you are on your own when it comes to side dishes.

Note: I make the sauce the night before and just keep it in the fridge. Then I have one less thing to do when I’m rushing around in the morning.

INGREDIENTS
4 thick cut boneless pork chops
fresh ground pepper
10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 oz envelope dry ranch dressing mix
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 c water or chicken broth

STEPS

Season the pork chops with fresh ground pepper.
Place the pork chops in the bottom of a greased crock-pot.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the soup, ranch mix, garlic, and water.
Pour the sauce mixture over the top of the pork chops.
Cook on high for 4–5 hours or low for 6–7.
Transfer the pork chops to a serving dish or plate and using a whisk, stir the sauce in the crock-pot.
Ladle a small amount of the sauce over each pork chop.