Shout out to Penzey's

I LOVE this store! 

Penzey's Spices is a "foodies" best friend.  The store is stocked full of spices, baking ingredients, and recipe cards.  You can also sign up to receive their product and recipe magazine in the mail (which I definitely recommend). 

Bonus:  Penzey's will also mail out coupons for new products regularly.  (Yes, I said COUPONS!)

This store has become a staple in my kitchen.  You are likely to find many recipes on my blog mentioning one of their spices.  I have quite a few favorites that I use and, therefore, need to replace frequently.

Must Have Spices:
- Arizona Dreaming (Salt Free) - excellent in chili or Mexican dishes

- Pasta Sprinkle - perfect for dressing up an easy side dish

- Galena Street - a great rub for pork or chicken

- Mural of Flavor (Salt Free) - try it on eggs.. yum!

Penzey's supplies a large variety of dry herbs - if you happen to be missing a green thumb.  Some of my favorite herbs to buy from them are Rosemary and Basil.

You can read more about Penzey's products and locations on their website.  Check out a store in your area!


We could all use a hint of more time.
Copyright 2011 Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.

Casserole Creativity 101

Have you ever had one of those days that you know the refrigerator stock is running low and what ever is in the pantry is not appealing?  Well this happens to me every so often - which forces me to become really creative with dinner that night.

If you ever find yourself in this situation... DO NOT PANIC!  Sometimes getting creative is much better for your pocket book and waste line because, often times we would rather have someone else make us dinner (i.e. pizza, freaky-fast sub sandwiches, etc).  So open up the pantry and get the creative juices flowing.

There was one particular week that I had made the Enchilada Casserole and had a leftover bag of hash browns.  The next day I was in desperate need of a trip to the grocery store but running on very little sleep and energy.  SO, I got creative.

I do not have the exact recipe written down for this dish but, I'd like to suggest trying something like this for a casserole dinner some night.

Crunchy Southwest Chicken Casserole
- 1/2 bag of diced hashbrowns
- 1-2 lbs. of chopped chicken breast or tenderloin (feel free to use shredded chicken if you have that)
- 1 medium chopped onion
- 1 bag of frozen corn
- 1 1/2 cup of crushed tortilla chips
- 1 can of green chili's
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 chopped green pepper
- 1 cup of shredded marble jack cheese
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes (or use fresh if you have it)
- 3 to 4 slices of cubed cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 TBSP of Arizona Dreaming (or use Smoked Paprika)
- Salt & pepper to taste

Brown the chopped chicken breast in a pan.  Combine all ingredients into a pan.  Tuck the cubed cheddar cheese in various places of the dish and then cover with a thin layer of more cheese. Bake covered for 35 minutes.  Uncover and bake 10 minutes.

If you feel that it's too dry.. I would suggest adding salsa to it or creating a type of "gravy" from the pan drippings left over by the chicken.  If you want it to be SPICY.. I would recommend adding some chipotle seasoning OR perhaps a little Adobo sauce if you have any canned chipotle's on hand.  I love adobo sauce.  Do not use too much.. maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of a tablespoon.  A little goes a long way.

Enjoy!!