Chicken and Cheese Casserole

3 or 4 chicken breasts - cooked and diced
1 pound vegetable blend (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, onions) - Steam 10 min and drain
1 cube butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz velveeta

Combine and bake at 350 for 30 min

Crockpot Thai Chicken

2 cups salsa
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbs. honey
4 tsp. soy sauce
3-4 chicken breasts
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

rice or pasta

Combine all ingredients (except peanuts and cilantro) in crockpot and cook 4-6 hours.

Serve over rice or pasta with chopped peanuts and cilantro.

This recipe is YUMMY! And super easy. Care of my friend Marie in VA.

Crockpot Lemon Butter Chicken

Ooooooo, you ladies ready for the ultimate easy chicken staple? This comes to you care of my friend Tiffany. It is TASTY and makes your kitchen smell yummy! You can enjoy its savory deliciousness tonight and then - because it is a basic, versatile recipe - so you can use leftovers for any recipe that calls for chicken (think BBQ chicken sandwiches tomorrow, tortilla chicken soup the next day.)

• 4-5 breasts chicken (I use frozen)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4-5 tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• seasoning salt (I use Lawry's brand) to sprinkle on top

Throw all ingredients in the crockpot together and cook on high 4 hours or low 6-8 hours.

Grilled Chicken Bruschetta

What a great idea, it's healthy, it's fresh, it's delicious and it just screams summer.

This recipe comes from this fantastic recipe blog http://www.skinnytaste.com. Seriously everything this lady posts looks amazing and the recipes are mostly very healthy. So I recommend you check it out.

So my new favorite summer dish - Grilled Chicken Bruschetta

Ingredients:

3 vine ripe tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tbsp extra virgin oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Kosher Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

3 oz part skim Mozzarella, diced

1.25 lbs (8 thin sliced) chicken cutlets

(I'm not too worried about exact measurements - and I used chicken breast because that's what I had in the fridge and I just used the regular tomatoes I already had , I don't have Kosher Salt but it still turned out fantastic)

Directions

Combine onion, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Set aside a few minutes

Chop tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Combine with garlic, basil, onion-balsamic combo. Set aside and let sit for at least 10 min. or overnight. Add the cheese when ready to serve.

Grill your chicken, best if only seasoned with something plain like salt and pepper.

Put the bruschetta on top of the chicken (that way the chicken absorbs the taste from the bruschetta) and serve.

For pictures and the recipe you can also see it on skinnytaste.com

Enjoy

Jana

Chicken Crescent Rolls

This is one of my favorite recipes from my mom that we don't make anymore (cursed milk allergies!), but I really miss it, so I thought I would share it so others could enjoy it. :0) It's pretty simple, and oh so good!
------------------
1/2 pound chicken breasts
2 packages Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 package Cream Cheese
1/8 - 1/4 cup milk
Garlic powder to taste (maybe a tablespoon if you like garlic)

Cook and cut up two chicken breasts). Unroll 2 pkgs of Pillsbury crescent rolls. Keep them in rectangles (they normally would be divided into 8 triangles). Squeeze or "smoosh" the lines together in the middle of the rectangle so the dough will hold together.

Soften a package of cream cheese with a little milk (to taste, but less than a quarter cup - you want the sauce thick) and stir in garlic powder to taste. Use a whisk so it all mixes well.

Add chicken to cream cheese mix and put a mound in middle of dough rectangle (about the size of an ice cream scoop). Fold sides of rectangle over chicken mix and squeeze edges to seal.

Bake in oven for 11 to 13 minutes at 375 (follow the instructions for the rolls), and enjoy!

Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce

You really should try this one if you like curry. It's a mild curry, creamy and delicious.

Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce (My Kitchen Café blog)
*Serves 4

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 medium red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (by seeding the jalapeno you lose most of the spice/heat but retain great flavor)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 cups hot cooked rice

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place in medium bowl. Stir together curry, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and chili powder. Sprinkle over chicken, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.

In a large nonstick frying pan, stir onion, basil, garlic and peppers in hot oil over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add chicken and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 5-6 minutes until no longer pink.

Combine coconut milk and cornstarch and whisk well to combine. Carefully add to skillet, whisking vigorously. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in ginger. Cook and stir for another minute. Serve over hot rice.

Recipe Source: adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Asian Glazed Drumsticks

Annie passed this recipe along to me and it's delicious. I noticed she didn't post it so I couldn't resist.

Asian Glazed Drumsticks (Skinnytaste.com, Annie)

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 2 drumsticks • Points: 5 ww pts
Calories: 213 • Fat: 4.7 g • Protein: 27.5 g • Carb: 12.7 g • Fiber: 0.4 g

• 8 medium chicken drumsticks, skin removed (I used boneless skinless thighs too!)
• Pam spray oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce or garlic chile paste
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp chives or scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

In a heavy large saucepan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little spray oil. Add water, balsamic, soy sauce, agave, garlic, ginger, hot sauce and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes. Remove cover and bring heat to high, allowing sauce to reduce down, about 8 minutes until it becomes a thick glaze, turning chicken occasionally. (Keep an eye on glaze, you don't want it to burn when it start becoming thick) Transfer chicken to a platter and pour glaze on top. Top with chives and sesame seeds and serve.

Two Delicious Summer Recipes

I thought I should share these before the end of summer:

Chicken Kebabs with Creamy Pesto (Cooking Light, September 2010)
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Pieces of yellow bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
Cherry tomatoes
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Red onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream
1 tablespoon commercial pesto (I used Classico)

Combine rind, 1 tablespoon juice, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Toss with bell pepper, tomatoes, chicken, and onion. Thread vegetables and chicken onto four 12” skewers. Place skewers on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray (I did not do this, I grilled mine outdoors). Broil 12 minutes or until chicken is done, turning occasionally. Combine 1 teaspoon juice, yogurt, sour cream, and pesto. Serve sauce with kebabs. Yield: 4 servings (serving size 1 kebab and 1 tablespoon sauce).
Calories: 211, fat: 7.3, Protein: 27.9, Carb: 7,

Chicken Dinner Salad (Cooking Light, September 2010)
6 medium beets
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
½ cup plain 2% Greek-style yogurt
14 cup Sriracha (hot chili sauce, such as Huy Fong)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 shallot, minced (I used 1 tablespoon grated onion)
6 ears shucked corn
6 cups packed fresh spinach
4 ounces goat cheese, cut into 6 slices (I used feta)
6 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans

Leave root and 1-inch stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1 hour or until tender. Drain. Cool beats slightly. Trim off beet roots and stems; rub off skins. Slice beets.
While beets cook, place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound to ½” thickness using a small heavy skillet. Combine yogurt and chile sauce in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag and seal. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Combine 2 tablespoons oil (I omitted), ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
Place chicken on grill rack; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Cut chicken into 1” strips.
Brush remaining 1 tablespoon oil over corn and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Grill 10 minutes or until lightly charred, turning corn occasionally. Cool. Cut kernals from eats of corn.
Place 1 cup spinach on each of 6 plates. Top each serving with chicken, 1/3 cup beats, 1/3 cup corn, 1 cheese slice and 1 tablespoon pecans. Drizzle 1 tablespoon dressing over each salad.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sauce:
1/4 C. chicken broth
4 Tbs ketchup
3/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. vinegar
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt

3-4 eggs, mixed in a bowl
garlic salt
corn starch
oil

3 chicken breasts

Cut chicken into pieces. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Roll in cornstarch, dip in eggs. Heat oil in pan until hot. Brown chicken in pan until light brown. Place in a casserole dish.
Heat sauce in a small saucepan until sugar melts, don't boil. Pour over chicken.
Bake at 375 for 30 mins. Stir once after 15 mins. to coat all sides of chicken. Serves 4-5 people.

From my friend Natalie E.

Time to start getting out the summer recipes!

Steak and Chicken shish kabobs

Steak and/ or chicken cut into chunks
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup vegetable oil
1 can Sprite

(any veges or fruit that you would like on the kabobs)
red onion
green/red pepper cut into chunks
pineapple chunks
mushrooms
cherry tomatoes
sliced zucchini

Marinade-
Mix soy sauce, oil and Sprite in a bowl. Put chicken and steak in and let sit in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours.

Soak kabob sticks in water for at least 20 mins. in water to prevent them from burning on the grill. Alternate chicken, steak, veggies and pineapple. Anything goes! Serve with jasmine rice and slivered almonds.

Recipe from my friend Jenny.

Spinach & Couscous Salad

This recipe is from Jana Fridfinnsdottir. Such a great combination of fresh ingredients for a salad. Soooo yummy! Thanks Jana!

I marinaded the chicken in pad - thai sauce this time but I just use whatever I have (last time I did Tikka Masala paste and plain yogurt & used turkey cutlets instead of chicken that was really good)

Fresh spinach

red onion

sweet peppers (I prefer red & orange but you can use any color)

mushrooms

strawberries

grapes

cucumber

tomato

cashew nuts

couscous

Feta cheese

chicken

and ranch dressing

So put the spinach in first then the veggies & fruit & nuts

then you put the couscous on top of it and the meat and the feta cheese on top of everything.

Originally the salad was just spinach red onions, feta cheese, couscous & chicken but I prefer to have more fresh stuff in it.

Chicken Breast Supreme

• 4 lb chicken breasts
• 2 cans cream of celery soup
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. savory seasoning
• Rice

- Cover chicken breasts with water and add savory seasoning. Boil until done. Place in 9x13 inch baking dish.

- Mix soup, mayonnaise, whipping cream, and Worcestershire sauce.

- Pour mixture over chicken and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncovered.

- Serve over rice.

This is another easy breezy recipe from Darin's mom. Very tasty! I often don't have all the ingredients, and its still really good with various substitutes. (cream of chicken instead of cream of celery) (milk instead of whipping cream) (low fat mayo instead of the real deal). Also, I sometimes bake it with the rice on the bottom.

Chip dip-dip

This is a recipe from my sister-in-law June. It's a sort of chip-dip that serves as a meal. Really easy and really good!

-1 chicken breast (cut into smaller bite-size cubes)
-2Tbs of oil

Brown chicken in oil and then add:
-1 can chicken broth
-1 can tomato sauce
-1 packet of taco seasoning
(Bring to boil, 5 min)

Add:
-drained canned corn (or frozen)
-1 1/2 cups minute rice

Put lid on, turn off heat, cover and let sit 5 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top. Serve with tortilla chips. Whala!

Salsa and Black Bean Chicken

This is another favorite from my friend Tiff - thanks Tiff!

cut chicken into bite size pieces and cook with 1/2 packet taco seasoning in skillet until juices run clear. Add:
1 c. salsa
1/4 c. apricot jam
1/2 c. water
1 T. cilantro
2 T. lime juice
boil and then stir in 2 cans of drained black beans. Delicious! You can also serve this over rice. I sometimes double the water and add more jam too.

Chicken Parmesan

I have taken this to a few people when they've had babies and it's usually a big hit. (Kind of like you just ate at The Olive Garden.)

4 chicken breasts
3/4 cup bread crumbs
6 Tbsp. parmesan cheese, divided
2 eggs (beaten)
8 oz mozzarella cheese
1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
garlic salt
vegetable oil

1. Pound chicken to 1/4" thickness. Mix bread crumbs and 4 Tbsp. parmesan cheese. Dip chicken in egg and then bread crumb mixture.
2. Heat oil in skillet, place chicken in skillet and brown chicken on both sides.
3. Put browned chicken in 9x13 casserole dish. Cover each piece of chicken with mozzarella cheese.
4. Pour spaghetti sauce over chicken, being sure to cover all chicken. Sprinkle remaining 2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese and garlic salt on top.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. (Be sure it's hot and bubbly.)

Seriously, it's no fail. Serve with some salad, corn and breadsticks. Can't go wrong!

*recipe from bff Rachele. Feel free to make tonight and take a picture for me, Linsy!

Penne Rustica

Ingredients:
12 oz. grilled chicken breast (marinate in olive oil and garlic salt overnight, then grill on barbecue for best flavor)
½ pack thick bacon
48 oz. (3 boxes) penne pasta
2 large red bell peppers- diced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp paprika

Gratinata Sauce:
2 tsp butter
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup marsala wine OR 1/3 cup apple juice + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar +enough chicken broth to equal 1 cup
1 tsp dijon or dry mustard
1 tsp salt1 tsp chopped rosemary
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream

Directions:
Sauté garlic in butter in large pan. Add marsala wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream.Cook pasta according to directions. Cook bacon. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces.Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon, bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in pans. Top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese.

Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.
Number Of Servings: Yields one 8×8 and two 9×13 casserole

I am not sure why the recipe is so huge (3 boxes of pasta!?!) but obviously you can half it or freeze the rest. It actually freezes well. Also, sometimes I add fresh spinach to make myself believe that it is a little more healthy!

Darin's Fav' Chicken Enchiladas

• 4 chicken breasts (cooked and diced)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups monterrey jack cheese
• 1 can diced green chiles (4 oz)
• 1 bundle of green onions (sliced)
• 1 pint sour cream
• 8-10 flour tortillas

- combine cream of chicken soup, cheese, diced green chiles, sliced green onions, sour cream together in a bowl

- set aside 2 cups of mixture

- add cooked and diced chicken to remaining mixture

- grease bottom of 9x13 casserole dish

- fill flour tortillas with chicken mixture, roll up, and place in dish (8-10 will fit)

- cover the enchiladas with the remaining mixture

- bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Thanks to Darin's mom Karen for this great recipe. It is Darin's all time favorite meal and a staple in our home.

Chicken Madeira

This meal is a fave of mine. I have also made it without the cream and sour cream and it is still really good. The meal is way better than it looks in the picture it is creamy and flavorful and delish!

*6 boneless chicken breasts
*12 oz sliced, fresh mushrooms
*flour for dredging
*salt & pepper
*1/4 cup butter
*1/3 cup chopped shallots (I usually just use red onions if I have them instead)
*1 Tablespoon minced garlic
*1 cup Madeira wine (I substitute with Marsala cooking wine, which they sell in any grocery store and then you don't have to go to a separate liquor store).
*1 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream if you can't find it)
*1 cup heavy cream
*2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pound chicken breasts so that they are thin.(recipe doesn't call for this but I like it better this way).
Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dredge them in flour, shaking off the excess. Heat half of the butter in a saute pan and cook chicken over medium low heat until browned on both sides, 8-10 mins.
Remove and place in an oven proof casserole dish.
Add the rest of the butter to the saucepan along w/ the shallots, mushrooms and garlic. Saute over medium heat for two minutes.
Pour the Madeira into the pan and reduce the liquid by half over high heat, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the creme fraiche, cream lemon juice and 1 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper.
Boil until mixture thickens-5 to 10 mins.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake 12 mins, or until chicken is heated through.

Serves 6

Honey Baked Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
(I usually use chicken breast cut into strips)

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup (4 TBS) Butter
1/4 cup mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder

pour sauce over chicken in baking dish

375 degrees for 1 hour

Serve over white rice.

The added bonus to this recipe is these are ingredients most have on hand. A deliciously done deal!

P.F. Chang-Style Lettuce Wraps

Sauce for pouring over lettuce wraps:

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. water

2 Tbsp. Soy sauce

2 Tbsp. Rice vinegar

2 Tbsp. Ketchup

1 Tbsp. Lemon juice

1/4 tsp. Sesame oil

1 Tbsp. Chinese hot mustard

1 to 3 Tbsp. Garlic chili paste



Stir-fry sauce:

2 Tbsp. Soy sauce

2 Tbsp. Brown sugar

1/2 tsp. Rice vinegar



Stir-fry:

3 Tbsp. Vegetable oil

2 chicken breasts

1 c. minced water chestnuts

2/3 c. canned straw mushrooms

3 Tbsp. Chopped green onion

1 tsp. Minced garlic



Slice iceberg lettuce cups by cutting head of lettuce in half. Mix the special sauce and refrigerate until ready to serve and spoon over your lettuce wraps.



Bring 2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil to high heat and sauté chicken, then cut it into small pieces. Prepare stir-fry sauce; add water chestnuts, mushrooms, onions, garlic and chicken and sauté together.



Serve chicken and vegetables with a side of lettuce cups. Spoon chicken and vegetable into lettuce cup; add sauce and wrap it like a burrito. If the sauce needs to be hotter, add more garlic chili paste!

Recipe courtesy of Miss Annie Reynolds