Cheesy Garlic Chicken

This was REALLY good.  My 6 year old, who is not much of a meat eater, had 4 helpings.  I found the recipe on the back of the Lipton packet.

 CHEESY GARLIC CHICKEN



4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.)

1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped (I used a can of Petite Diced)

1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Savory Herb with Garlic Soup Mix

1/3 cup water

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 oz.)

1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

(Next time I think I will also add some quartered artichoke hearts)

Preheat oven to 400°. In greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish, arrange chicken and top with tomato.  In small bowl, blend Savory Herb with Garlic Soup Mix, water and Olive Oil. Pour over chicken.  Bake 20 minutes. Top with cheeses and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

It's a new year!  Time to make resolutions (and break them)!  I hope to try (at least) one new recipe a week (and of course blog about those that are delicious). 

Thank you to pinterest for this simple, alternative to ground beef tacos.  (I couldn't link to the original post because I received the error message "blog not found")

6 chicken breasts (mine were frozen)
1 jar of salsa (I used Chi Chi's original, mild)
1 packet of taco seasoning

Lay chicken in crockpot.  Sprinkle with taco seasoning.  Pour salsa over the top.

Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low 6-8 hours.  I hred mine with a fork about 30 minutes before eating, to let the flavors get on all the chicken.  Eat in tortilla of your choice, served with toppings of your choice (we used cheese, lettuce, sour cream & guacamole...would have used tomatoes & black olives too, but we didn't have any).

For sides, I served with black beans & Spanish rice.  So good & so easy.

PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps

I stumbled upon Iowa Girl Eats while specifically searching for a PF Chang's lettuce wrap copycat recipe.  She just might be my new BFF (blogger friend forever).  Her recipes look INCREDIBLE.  She gave me permission to share her awesome take on PF Chang's lettuce wraps (only less greasy and healthier!)  They were a hit at my house.  Derek had like 5 and said it was a keeper.  He rarely gives his input on recipes, so you know this is a winner.  Even my picky children ate it without complaints.  I will share her recipe, but comment on what I did differently.  I know I typically avoid long ingredient list recipes, but this one is well worth it.  And it is still quick and easy to throw together.

1lb ground chicken breast
1/2 medium onion, minced
salt & pepper, a dash of each
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 inch nob fresh ginger, peeled & minced (I grated it and probably used a lot less than an inch)
1 Tablespoon sesame oil (I didn't have this, so I used Canola Oil)
2 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter
1/2 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (I used 1 tsp chili powder)
dash of fresh pepper
3 green onions, chopped
1/2-8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained & chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped (I threw them in my food processor on "chop")
10-12 large outer lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry (I used Boston Leaf)
*I will add match stick carrots next time to up the veggie content and add some color*

In skillet, add chicken, onion, salt & pepper, and cook until chicken is nearly done, stirring often to break up the meat. Add in minced garlic and ginger, and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine sesame (canola) oil, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, honey, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce (chili powder) and pepper. Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add into the skillet and stir to combine.

Add green onion and water chestnuts into the skillet then cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.  (Here is where I would add the carrots next time).

Stir in chopped peanuts.  Serve wrapped in lettuce leaves

Baked Garlic Chicken

I REALLY liked this chicken a lot. This recipe came from a Taste of Home cookbook. The recipe below is to serve 4. (The original was to serve 8, so I cut it in half.)

1 c sour cream
1 Tbl lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp celery salt
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 c crushed butter flavored crackers (about 25)
1/4 c butter or margarine, melted
1/8 c vegetable oil (I used canola)

In a large, shallow glass dish, combine the first seven ingredients. Add chicken; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. Place cracker crumbs in a shallow bowl; roll chicken in crumbs until coated. Transfer to a greased 9 X 13 baking dish. Combine butter and oil; pour over the chicken. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Chicken, Broccoli and Baby Reds

When Derek was in Vet School, we became pretty tight with Alex and Susan. When Alex would be on an internship, we'd have Susan over for dinner and when Derek would be on an internship, Alex and Susan would have me over. Susan prepared this simple and tasty one dish meal for me. Serve with some rolls and viola.

chicken breast (cut into bite sized pieces)
red potatoes (cut in half or quarters)
onion (cut into slivers)
broccoli (cut into florets)
can of cream of broccoli soup (heated in the microwave, diluted with a bit of milk)

Brown chicken
Steam potatoes, onion and broccoli until done
toss chicken, potatoes, onion and broccoli together with heated soup
season with salt and pepper

(I have a double decker steamer. I put the potatoes in the bottom basket and start them first since they take a little longer. Then I add the onion/broccoli to the top basket a few minutes later.)

One Dish Chicken and Rice Bake

This recipe came from Campbell's Soup. It is really simple and the chicken stays really tender and juicy.

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 cup water

3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Stir the soup, water, rice, paprika and black pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with the chicken. Season with additional paprika and black pepper. Cover the baking dish.
Bake at 375°F. for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Cheesy Chicken

Our local grocery store takes really good care of its loyal customers. Every few months, we get a flier in the mail with weekly coupons. For every $10 we spend, we get an item for free (5 items total). The items go together to help create a meal. This flier included a recipe for each week. With my FREE chicken, cheeses and mayo, I made this:

4 chicken breasts
1 c mayo
1 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1 c shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese (in the can)

Mix mayo and cheeses together. Pound chicken breasts down to 1/4 inch thick. Spread cheese mixture over breasts. Fold sides over and roll tightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Chicken Broccoli Tortellini Soup

Say that three times real fast...Anyways, I LOVE this soup. The original was from a mini "check-out aisle" book of Soups & Breads by Betty Crocker and I changed it to fit our tastes.

1 tbl olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1/2 c water
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 (10 oz) box frozen cut broccoli in cheese flavored sauce
1 (9 oz) package refrigerated cheese filled tortellini
2 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes (NOT drained)
shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese for topping
croutons for topping are also delicious

Heat oil and add onion. Cook until tender.
Stir in broth, water, Italian seasoning, broccoli, tortellini and tomatoes. Heat to a boiling, stirring occasionally and breaking up broccoli.

Stir in chicken. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until tortellini is tender.

Serve topped with cheese and croutons.

No Peek Chicken

This is one of my FAVORITE dishes from growing up.

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 1/2 c minute rice
1 whole chicken cut up
1 envelope onion soup mix

mix cans of soup with rice and spread on bottom of greased baking pan
lay chicken pieces on top of rice
sprinkle with onion soup mix
cover with foil

Bake at 325 for 2 1/2 hours.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

The first time I had chicken cordon bleu was in middle school. My best friend's grandma would make it for her birthday every year. I LOVED it. Sadly, I don't have her recipe (hers were rolled up and fastened with toothpicks). But this one is very easy AND very yummy.

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 slices of ham
6 slices of Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c milk
1/2 c butter, melted
2 c seasoned croutons

in greased casserole dish, layer chicken breast, ham, cheese. In small bowl, mix soup with milk. Pour over chicken. In another bowl, mix melted butter with croutons. Pour croutons over the top of the casserole.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Crunchy Onion Chicken

Two words for you:
1) EASY
2) DELICIOUS

AND, the ingredients list minimal.

1 1/3 c Durkee French Fried Onion Rings
2 Tbl flour
3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten

Put flour and onion rings in ziploc and crush
Dip chicken in egg and coat with onion ring mixture

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

Ultimate Chicken Fingers

My mom decided to make these when she was watching the girls once. Apparently Peyton (my picky eater) LOVED them. So, my mom passed along the info. It is found on the back of the Bisquick mix. They really were yummy. We just ate them as is, dipped in ranch. Much better than deep fried, fattening strips. We have some left over. I'm thinking they'd be really good sliced on a salad or on some grilled sour dough bread with some pepper jack cheese.

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut crosswise into strips
2/3 c Original Bisquick mix
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt or garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

Line cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. In plastic bag, mix Bisquick mix, cheese, salt and paprika.

Dip half the chicken strips into egg; place in bag. Shake to coat. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes at 450 degrees, turning half way through.

Chicken & Broccoli Stuffed Shells

Something a little different from the traditional stuffed shells with beef, spinach, ricotta, and marinara. They were very good. My mom shared this recipe with me. Not sure where it came from.

1 jar (16 oz) Alfredo Sauce
2 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
21 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained

(serves 7)

In a large bowl, combine the Alfredo sauce, broccoli, chicken and the cheeses. Spoon into pasta shells. Place in a greased 13 X 9 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.


We served this with a tossed salad and some french bread.

Ranch Chicken

I have no picture to post because I didn't make enough. They were gobbled down before I even had time to think about grabbing my camera. But that's a good thing. ALL four family members gave them a thumbs up.

3/4 c crushed cornflakes
3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese (I was out and used shredded mozzarella)
3 Tbls dry ranch powder
1/2 c melted butter/margarine
8 chicken breasts (We used chicken tenders instead. Also, I don't feel there would have been enough breading to cover 8 breasts)

Combine cornflakes, cheese, and ranch powder in shallow dish.

Dip chicken in butter. Roll in cornflake mixture to coat.

Place on cookie sheet. I drizzled with leftover butter and sprinkled leftover breading over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (The chicken tenders took about 20 minutes)

These were sooooo yummy.

Chicken Tacos

My friend recently blogged about her favorite things of summer 2010 and this was #7 "favorite summer meal". I've never had a bad meal at her house, so I gave it a go. They were different than what I expected, but still good. The chicken had a very subtle flavor and was sweeter than I thought. But paired with all the toppings, it came together.

Here's the link (for copyright purposes), but I'll also type it out for you so you don't have to jump around.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/chicken-tacos/Detail.aspx

1 lb chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
1 c lemonade
2 tbls olive oil
1 tbls lime juice
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf

plus tortillas, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc.

In medium skillet, combine first 5 ingredients. Add seasonings. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink. (about 15 to 20 minutes)



Warm tortillas in microwave or oven. Put out chicken, tortillas and fixings and let each person create their own wrap to their liking. Viola!

*Note: We added rice to our tortillas too. I wanted to have black beans as a topping option too, but I didn't have any on hand. Next time I will add them.

Zesty Honey Mustard Chicken

I have to admit, I only thought this recipe was "okay". However, my husband and my six year old LOVED it. My husband actually ate two whole pieces. AND said it was a definite make again recipe. He hasn't been too crazy about a few of my recipes lately, so I feel that his enthusiasm warrants a post. Hope you like it as much as he and Peyton did.

1/2 c mustard (I used Dijon)
1/2 c honey
1 tbls salt free seasoning blend (I used Mrs. Dash original)
1 tbls Worcestershire
1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut in half (or chicken breasts, which is what we used)

In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients; mix well. Carefully loosen the skin of the chicken; spoon some of the mustard sauce under the skin.

Coat grill rach with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill. Place chicken skin side up on grill rack. Grill, covered, over indirect heat for 20 minutes. Turn; grill 20 to 30 minutes longer or until juices run clear, basting occasionally with remaining mustard sauce. Remove chicken skin; cut into serving size pieces. (We just used skinless breasts, but the glaze still gave the chicken a lot of flavor.)

Chicken Pesto (or shrimp) with Asparagus

The original recipe calls for shrimp, but the hubby doesn't like shrimp. So, we've changed it to chicken and it is still super duper yummy, although the lemon juice in the sauce probably compliments the shrimp nicely.

8 oz spaghetti noodles (cooked, rinsed, and drained)
1 c loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 c lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
3 tbls olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb chicken breast cut into pieces (or shrimp)
one bunch of asparagus

Place basil, lemon juice, garlic, 1 Tbls oil and salt in food processor. This is your sauce. SOOOOO easy, right?

Meanwhile, brown your chicken & saute your asparagus in the remaining oil.

Toss chicken, asparagus, & spaghetti with sauce. Sprinkle some Italian blend cheese on top and voila!

Mexicali Chicken

Originally, this recipe is supposed to be eaten as is...however, I served it as a filling for tortillas with shredded cheddar cheese. I really like it. It is not spicy, so if you are looking for something with a little kick, you'll have to made additions.

cooking spray
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 (15 oz) black beans, rinsed
1 (14 oz) Mexican style stewed tomatoes (I used stewed tomatoes w/green chilies...is that the same thing???)
1 1/2 c water
1 c rice (I used instant)
4 tsp instant chicken bouillon or 4 cubes

Cook chicken over medium-high heat in cooking spray 5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Eat as is OR serve on tortillas w/shredded cheese like we did.

Easy Chicken and Rice

When Derek was in Vet school, we got to be really good friends with another newlywed couple. When Alex would be on externship, we'd have Susan over for dinner and when Derek was on externship, they'd have me over for dinner. She made this recipe once when I was over. Delicious!

6 oz box of Uncle Ben's white/wild rice mix (Long Grain-not fast)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 c water
2 large chicken breasts
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix
butter or margarine to drizzle

mix rice, cream soups, and water
spread in greased 9 X 13 pan
place breasts on top
sprinkle with Lipton soup
drizzle with melted butter
cover with foil
bake 1 hour


I served with fresh green beans sauteed in olive oil w/minced garlic sprinkled with a little garlic salt & refrigeratored buttermilk biscuits.

*Note: It was a bit salty, so next time I will use the "Healthy Request" soup which is reduced fat AND reduced sodium.

Chicken Carbona

We LOVE this recipe. I got it from my sister years ago. I'm beginning to think it should be Chicken "Carbonara", but "Carbona" is what my sister wrote. By "doctoring up" jarred sauce, it is ready in no time. It tastes so "rich". Easily one of my all time fav pasta recipes.

1 Tbls oil
4 boneless chicken breasts cut into pieces (I usually do less meat, usually two breasts)
4 slices of bacon
1 c frozen or fresh peas (I use frozen)
1/3 c chicken broth
1 jar Alfedo sauce
pasta of your choice, cooked and drained (we usually use bow tie for this recipe)

brown chicken in oil, remove
cook bacon and peas together
add chicken broth and cook for 1 minute
add sauce & chicken
boil over high
reduce & simmer
add pasta & heat through

We always like to top with a little shredded cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, asiago...)

NOTE: Tonight, I also added some fresh mushrooms. I sauteed them with the peas & bacon. A delicious addition... We served it with a Caesar Salad Kit & Crescent Rolls

PS-Stay tuned, my next post will be a "giveaway" in honor of me posting my 50th recipe. Details on how to enter coming soon.