Chicken Corn Chowder (Monica Brinton)

5-6 potatoes, cubed
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 c frozen corn
1/6 lb cooked bacon bits (2.65 oz) (originally 1/3 lb)
2 c shredded rotisserie chicken
1.5-2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 green onions, chopped (originally 1 bunch)
½ c butter
¾ c flour
4 c milk (1 quart)

In a pot, add cubed potatoes, bouillon cubes, and water barely covering the potatoes. Bring to a boil. When potatoes are almost soft ~15 min, (do not drain water) add corn, bacon, chicken, cheese and onions. In a separate pot, make the white sauce: melt butter, whisk in flour. When bubbly, add milk and whisk more. Cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil and has thickened. Add sauce to soup when the first pot of vegetables are ready.

Chicken and Gravy (thecountrycook.net)

My kids loved this dish!

2 (0.87 oz) packets dry chicken gravy mix (try 1)

1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup

2 c water

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Garlic powder

Salt and pepper

½ c sour cream (optional)

Rice, mashed potatoes or noodles to serve over *I also steamed veggies to serve with it.

Season chicken breasts (both sides) with garlic powder, black pepper and just a tad bit of salt. Note: the chicken gravy and cream of chicken soup already have salt in them so don't go overboard on seasoning with salt (about a teaspoon should work).

In your slow cooker, whisk together the gravy packets, cream of chicken soup, and water until smooth. Add the seasoned chicken breasts. Cover them in gravy. Cover and cook on low for about 6-8 hours. Once cooked, break chicken up into chunks using a fork. Stir in sour cream (if using). 

Note from thecountrycook.net: I think the sour cream adds a great creaminess to this so I definitely recommend adding it in! Then serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles. 

Pesto Pizza (71 toes.com) "Green Pizza"

Pizza crust “Trader Joe’s” or your favorite
Basil Pesto (Kirkland brand from Costco)
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Rotisserie chicken (from Costco), shredded
Cornmeal (optional)

Sprinkle cornmeal on cookie sheet. Follow directions for pizza dough. After pre-baking (if your dough requires it) spread pesto all over it. Spread mozzarella cheese on top and add chicken. Bake according to dough directions.

BBQ Chicken Salad (like Zupas')

I am sadly not a huge salad lover, but I love Zupas' BBQ Chicken Salad. When I saw this recipe that looked just like it, I had to try it, and I loved it just as much! Yippee!

Here is my iPhone picture in the evening (no natural light!)

Here is a beautiful picture from the source. Wowza!

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 tenders

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

6 c chopped Romaine lettuce

1 Roma tomato, diced

¾ c canned corn kernels, drained (Oops! I used the whole can!)

¾ c canned black beans, drained, rinsed (Oops! I used the whole can!)

¼ c diced red onion
black olives, sliced (original recipe didn't have these, but Zupas' salad does)

¼ c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

½ c shredded cheddar cheese

¼ c Ranch dressing (optional)

¼ c BBQ sauce

¼ c tortilla strips (optional)

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Add a little BBQ sauce for flavor. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.

To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with tomato, corn, beans, onion and cheeses. Pour Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce on top of the salad and gently toss to combine. (I left Ranch out for those who like it to spread it on top.) Serve immediately, topped with tortilla strips.

Garlic Chicken Puffs (tidymom.net)

Original recipe (and better pictures) HERE.

The family loved this recipe. It would've been awesome to have a dipping sauce.

6 (frozen) chicken tenderloins
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
Salt and pepper
4 oz cream cheese
2 (8 count) cans refrigerator crescent rolls

Put tenderloins in a skillet on the stove at medium heat. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Add minced garlic. Add salt and pepper as desired. When chicken thaws, turn over. Heat until chicken is cooked through.

Put chicken-garlic mixture into a blender along with the cream cheese. Blend well. Unroll crescent dough* and cut each triangle into 2 triangles. Place 1 tsp of chicken mixture on the center of each triangle and fold the corners in over the creamy mixture. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 11-14 min.

*Try instead to pat a layer of the crescent dough on the bottom of a sprayed pan. Spread chicken mixture over it, then top with another layer of dough.

BBQ Chicken Marinade (Whitney Heap)

We've had this twice now, and it is a winner!

Chicken
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup oil
1 can Sprite

Add chicken to a large plastic bag or glass container. Mix marinade and pour over chicken. Let marinate overnight. Barbecue on a grill. (No additional seasonings needed.)

Quinoa Chicken Chili (sweettreatsmore.com)

I found this recipe on sweettreatsmore.com. The family loved it!

This is half the original recipe and makes enough to feed my family with enough left over for a nice lunch or two for me.

½ c quinoa, rinsed
1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes*
1 (16 oz) can black beans
1 (15 oz) corn, drained
2 c chicken stock
1 large chicken breast
½ large bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ tsp minced onion
½ tsp garlic
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp chili powder (or taco seasoning)
1 tsp salt
Cheese
Cornbread (optional)

Place everything in a 6 qt slow cooker and cook for 5-7 hours on low or 2.5-3.5 on high. Remove chicken, shred it and return to slow cooker. Keep warm until ready to serve. Garnish with cheese. Add cornbread if desired.

*The original recipe had 7 oz more of tomatoes (diced tomatoes with green chilies ~ Rotel). Add more liquid or tomatoes if needed.

Chicken Lazone (The Sisters Café)

I made this for the first time tonight and it was delicious! I used chicken tenderloins, and rather than leaving them whole, I cut them up at the end and let them soak in the sauce before serving. (That way we could eat our dinner rather than spend it cutting up the kids' food.)

photo and recipe from thesisterscafe.com

1 tsp salt

1½ tsp chili powder


1½ tsp onion powder


2 tsp garlic powder


4 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts


2 Tbsp butter

5-6 Tbsp heavy cream

(mashed potatoes or rice)

Combine the seasonings and coat chicken breasts.
 In a large sauté pan melt the butter and cook chicken over medium heat for about 7 to 8 minutes, turning once. 
Pour the cream into the skillet and lower the heat.
 Simmer for several minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens. 
Serve chicken breasts on a bed of mashed potatoes or rice and top with the sauce.

Easy BBQ Chicken

2 chicken breasts

1/3 c water

¾ c BBQ sauce

½ tsp liquid smoke

Trim excess fat off of chicken and place in crock pot. Add water, 1 cup of BBQ sauce, and liquid smoke. Cook on high for 3 hours. Remove chicken from pot, cut into chunks, and return to crock pot. Add more liquid and BBQ sauce as needed. Cook on low until dinnertime. Serve over rice.

Cowboy Quesadillas (Our Best Bites)

The girls, Tyler, Jon and I really liked these. Adam and Andrew didn't love them, but they are super picky. The original recipe with prettier pictures is HERE.
½ c white rice
1/3 c black beans (3 Tbsp dry, 1/6 tsp salt, 1 1/3 c water)
1 c diced cooked chicken (3 tenders)*
1/3 c fresh/frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)
1/3 c diced tomato (1 tomato)
1 large green onion, sliced (2 Tbsp)
1½ c shredded cheese (Mexican blend)
¼ c BBQ sauce
6-8 flour tortillas (6-8” diameter)

*I cooked the chicken in oil and butter seasoned with salt, pepper and BBQ sauce.

Combine rice, beans, chicken, corn, tomato, onion and cheese. Add BBQ sauce and stir to combine. Place about 1/3-½ c of mixture on half of each tortilla and fold over to close.


Heat skillet to medium heat on the stove. When hot, spray lightly with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil. Place quesadillas in pan and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown and slightly crisp. Serve with BBQ-Ranch dipping sauce (equal parts BBQ and ranch dressing).






You can get healthier and make these with multi-grain tortillas, too.

Basmati Rice Pilaf with Curry (Erin Willder)

Updated 2/23/13.
This dish took me out of my cooking comfort zone, but it was delicious! Jon especially loved it. Erin got this recipe from an Indian cooking class and it is now a staple food for her family. They also eat this with naan (Indian flat bread).
1 hour.


Basmati Rice with Carrots
a delicate, fragrant Indian rice dish

1 c basmati rice*
1 small onion, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
4 black peppercorns*
¼ tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp light vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp kosher salt

Wash the rice in cool water, squeezing gently with your fingers until the water runs clear.* Put the rice in about 2 cups of cool water to soak for 20 minutes. Strain soak water into a saucepan and heat. Leave rice to dry in strainer. Preheat oven to 350°.

While rice is drying, chop onion finely and set aside. Dice carrots and set aside. Measure spices into a small bowl. When rice is dry, heat oil in an oven-proof skillet or casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add spices. When spices become fragrant, add butter and onions. Cook until onions are tender and light golden brown. Add carrots and cook for 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring very gently for 5 minutes. Add salt and heated soak water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until water on top of rice has boiled off. Cover tightly and cook in the oven for 20 minutes at 350°. Remove from oven, let rest for 10 minutes, then serve with curry.

*You can find basmati rice from Costco ($1.15/lb), Winco ($1.58/lb), Macey's ($1.99/lb), or an Indian grocery shop. It is important to handle the rice gently so that the grains are not broken. It is also important to use whole spices; ground spices would overpower the rice.

Curry for Basmati Rice Pilaf* (New homemade recipe below)

½ c sour cream (or plain yogurt)
3-6 Tbsp Patak’s Tikka Masala curry paste (the more, the spicier)*
1 lb diced chicken breast (~7 tenders)
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1 c canned tomatoes with juice (use petite diced w/o seasoning; if using fresh tomatoes, you may want to add up to 1 c water)
½ c sour cream (I forgot to add this at the end and it was still wonderful.)
Combine sour cream and paste. Add chicken. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight. Sauté onions until golden. Add chicken and sauté until sealed. Add tomatoes with juice and simmer ~5 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Stir in sour cream just before serving. Serve with hot, cooked rice.

*You can find this curry paste at Target ($3.99) or Macey's ($5.19). It will make this recipe about 3 times.

Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala (from 71toes)

Marinade: 
1 c plain yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ - 1 tsp cayenne pepper (originally 2 tsp)
1 tsp black pepper (originally 2 tsp)
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger (or 2 tsp ground)
1 tsp salt
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all marinade ingredients, then pour over chicken and refrigerate for at least an hour. Grill or cook chicken and discard marinade.

Sauce:
1 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
½ jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (originally 1)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika (originally 2)
½ tsp salt
8oz can tomato sauce
1 c cream
¼ c chopped cilantro

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for one minute. Add cumin, paprika and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low until sauce thickens ~20 min. Add grilled chicken and simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve over rice and garnish with fresh cilantro and sour cream or plain yogurt, if desired.

Chicken á La King (Sisters Café)

I think I've just found our new traditional meal for Christmas Eve. This recipe and tradition comes from the Sisters Café family. I tried it for the first time this year and loved it! Besides the yummy meal and the coolest-ever bread crowns, I loved that it only took me 30 minutes to make! Click HERE for their original recipe. Serves 8-10 adults.

photo credit: Sisters Café

½ c butter

½ c red bell pepper, diced
½ c green pepper, diced (these red and green peppers are so festive!)
½ c onions, diced



½ c flour
3 c chicken broth

1 c cream

5 c Rotisserie chicken, shredded
Salt and pepper

¼ c milk

Shred chicken, and dice peppers and onions. Heat butter over medium-low heat. Sauté peppers and onions just until soft. Then add flour. Mix well to make a roux. Let it bubble. Add mushrooms and broth; bring to a boil to thicken. Stir in cream and chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Don’t boil after adding cream. Add milk to thin if needed.


Photo credit: Sisters Café

Photo credit: Sisters Café

To make the crowns: Buy wheat bread at the store – not whole wheat, just the cheapo wheat kind. (Or you can use white if you prefer.) Get out your muffin tin. Place a slice of bread over a muffin hole. Push in on the four sides and push down into the muffin hole. Don’t squash the bread, but use enough force so that it stays down in the muffin hole. The four corners should be sticking up. Bake at about 250° until toasted and dry 20-30 min. Keep checking every 5 minutes. When done, the bread will be like toast, and you will be able to lift the crowns out of the muffin tin and they will hold their crown shape.

*New in 2013: Use Cheri Yorgason's sandwich roll recipe to make the crowns. These are much tastier and moist than the above method:

½ c warm water
2 Tbsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 c warm water
½ c sugar
½ c butter, softened (microwave hard butter 15 sec)
3 beaten eggs
4½ c white flour
1 tsp salt

In a mixer, dissolve the first 3 ingredients and let sit for 3-5 min. Add 1 c water and ½ c sugar and mix. Mix in the butter and eggs. Add in 2 c flour and mix. Add 2½ c more flour and salt. Mix. This mixture will be sticky. Cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour.


Place on a generously floured surface. You don’t have to knead this dough, but it will need to be placed on the flour, rolled over 1-2 times to make it easier to work with. Flatten it out on the flour about ½ inch thick and cut into small circles (use a small cup). Roll into balls and place inside 2 greased muffin tins. (Make regular muffins on cookie sheets with leftover dough.)

Using kitchen scissors, snip rolls into quarters, cutting almost to the bottom, making 4 peaks. Pinch edges to make them pointier, if needed. Cover with towels and let rise for 1 hour. Bake at 375° for ~9 min. Remove from oven, brush tops with water (to preserve moisture), and enjoy!

Tuscan Style Soup

This soup was extremely flavorful! Jon said it was "amazing" and the girls both raved about it. The boys at least ate it without too much complaining (that's saying a lot). Updated 1/16/11.

3 c cooked white beans

2 garlic cloves

2 c chicken broth

2 oz diced bacon (2-4 slices*)

1 chicken breast (or 3 tenders)

1 c thinly sliced carrots

½ medium onion, chopped

½ c water

1 tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Toast or hot bread

In blender puree the beans, garlic and chicken broth. In large soup pot, cook bacon until browned. Remove and dice when cool (then return to pot). Meanwhile, add chicken, carrots, and onion. Cook, stirring often until chicken is golden on the outside. Remove chicken and cut into ½” cubes. Return chicken to soup pot. Add water and Italian seasoning, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots are tender. Stir in pureed bean mixture. Return soup to a boil and simmer 15 min. Add salt and pepper. Serve with toast or hot bread for dipping.

*The original recipe called for 2 cloves of roasted garlic. I just used 2 raw cloves. Raw garlic is 2-4 times stronger in flavor than baked. Click here or here for instructions on roasting garlic.

**If you are trimming off the bacon fat, use 4 slices. You may need to add a splash of olive oil when you add the chicken so it doesn't get too dry. If you leave the bacon pieces whole, 2 pieces may be fine and you probably won't need the olive oil.

Cheesy Chicken Crescents (Deya Graham)

1¾ c cubed chicken, cooked with seasonings

1 can cream of chicken, mushroom/celery soup

1 c milk

1½ c grated cheddar or more to taste

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls

Cook and season chicken (garlic, onion, salt). In a saucepan, heat soup, milk, and ½ c cheese until melted. Pour ½ mixture into a greased 8x8 pan. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place about 2 Tbsp of chicken and 1 tsp cheese on each triangle. Roll each up towards small end, tucking end under. Place crescents in pan. Bake at 375˚ for 20-25 min. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve with remaining sauce. Yum!

Chicken and Noodle Casserole (Anita Heap)

Noodles (bowtie, macaroni or country pasta)

Chicken

Cream of chicken soup

½ soup can of milk

Cheese

Basil

Salt & pepper

Onion powder

Garlic salt

Cook noodles, drain. Cook chicken in olive oil, cutting into chunks part-way through cooking and seasoning with listed spices. When chicken is cooked, add soup and milk. Cover with cheese and more seasonings and mix. When cheese is melted, add the sauce to the noodles. Serve with sweet peas.

(Mom mixes it all in an 8x8 glass pan, covers with the cheese and microwaves 3-5 min or until cheese is melted).

Variation: add bacon pieces.

Chicken Asparagus Casserole (Donna Bench)

1 hour.

I took this photo the first time I made it. Now I chop the asparagus.
4 chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth (14 oz; 1¾ c)
½ c butter
½ c flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1½ c half and half
1 c Parmesan cheese (real, not canned) or ½ c canned
1 tsp fresh rosemary, crushed or 2 tsp dry
1 bunch asparagus spears (or 1 artichoke)
3 cups rice, cooked

Simmer chicken breasts in broth about 20 min. Save broth and cube chicken. Set both aside. Melt ½ c butter in the same pan. Stir in flour, salt and pepper till smooth. Gradually stir in saved broth and half-and-half and stir over medium heat until thickened. Blend in Parmesan cheese plus rosemary. Arrange chicken in greased 9x13 pan. Chop asparagus spears into bite-size pieces and layer over chicken. Pour sauce over this. Bake at 325° for 30 min. Add 10 min if it has been refrigerated. Serve over rice.


*Optional: Sauté ½ lb mushrooms in 2 Tbsp butter, set aside. Sprinkle mushrooms down the middle of the chicken-asparagus mixture before baking.

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

I need an updated picture because it's much creamier than this.

2 c mini bowtie noodles
Boil bowtie noodles ~10 min or until done. Set aside.

For Chicken:
Butter
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic
¼ onion, finely chopped
6 chicken tenders
Thyme
Rosemary
Parsley
Salt and pepper

Heat butter and oil. Sauté garlic and onion. Add and season chicken. After both sides are white, remove tenders one by one and chop into strips. Return to pan. Cook until meat is white on the inside and slightly brown on outside edges.

For Sauce:
¼ c butter
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
1 c milk (from powdered with water)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cornstarch.
1 c cream (½ pint)
¼ c Parmesan cheese
½ c cheese blend-mozzarella and provolone

In a pot, melt butter on low heat. Sauté garlic a few min. In a separate bowl, combine milk, salt and cornstarch. Add to butter and stir until smooth. Add cream and simmer 5 min. Add Parmesan and stir until melted. Mix noodles, sauce and chicken together. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and salt, if desired. Serve with sweet peas.

For Pioneer Day, use wagon wheel noodles.

Chicken and Rice (Whitney Heap)

90 minutes.

1½ c rice (not instant)

2 c grated cheese

8 chicken breasts or chicken tenders

1 pckg dry Lipton onion soup or substitute*

4 c chicken broth (2 cans)

1 can cream of chicken soup

In bottom of large casserole dish, put 1½ c raw rice. Sprinkle 1 c grated cheese over rice. Place chicken breasts on top of cheese. Pour 1 can chicken broth over the above. Sprinkle dry onion soup over top of chicken. Mix second can of broth with cream of chicken soup and pour over the top. Bake for 1 hour at 325° uncovered. Take from oven and sprinkle with another cup of grated cheese. Then cover with foil and bake

½ hour more.

*Onion soup substitute:

4 tsp (4 cubes) beef bouillon granules

8 tsp dried onion flakes

1 tsp onion powder

¼ tsp seasoned pepper

Chicken Stuffing Delight (the box)

1 box (6oz) Stove Top stuffing for chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/3 c milk (use powdered w/water) or sour cream

Mix stuffing and 1 2/3 c water; set aside. Place chicken in 13x9" baking dish or 2 quart casserole dish. Mix soup and milk; pour over chicken. Spoon stuffing evenly over top. Bake at 375° for 35 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Enchiladas (Whitney Heap)

Updated 6/17/13.


5-6 chicken tenderloins or 3 chicken breasts
Olive oil
Seasoning
6-7 flour tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can 8 oz tomato sauce
1/2 can “El Pato” salsa de jalapeño (freeze the rest for next time)
1 c cheddar cheese
1 c Monterey Jack cheese (or 2 c shredded mix)
Green onion diced to taste
Sliced olives (if desired)

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add chicken and seasonings. When cooked, dice. Distribute chicken into tortillas. Mix sauce and spread a little on bottom of 13x9" pan. Pour over chicken, leaving extra for topping. Grate cheese and spread in tortillas. Roll tortillas in pan. Pour remaining sauce, cheese, onions, and olives over top. Bake at 350° for 20-30 min.