chicken
Italian Chicken Pasta Skillet
This recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight. I think it took a total of 20 minutes to prepare this meal. I cooked the chicken while the pasta boiled, combined everything into the skillet with the chicken, let it heat through for a few minutes and boom! Dinner was done.
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups ziti, cooked, drained
Green onions for garnish
Instructions:
Cook chicken in large skillet with 2 tbsp olive oil on medium heat 5 min. Add onions and mushrooms; cook for 5 min. or until chicken is done. Drain any excess olive oil. Add sauce, stir well. Then add the pasta. Cook for a few minutes until heated through. Stir occasionally. Stir in the mozzarella cheese. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm, top with a little more shredded mozzarella and some green onions for color.
Feel free to add any other fresh vegetables or other combinations to make it your own. I would have added green peppers if it were just me, but sadly, I have a green vegetable hater in the house.
* This recipe was inspired by Kraft Foods.
Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
I was searching for recipes to make for the Super Bowl and came across this amazing twist on Buffalo Wings. It’s a little healthier than the typical ‘chicken wing’ and it’s got that same crispy, wonderful flavor.
1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup Buffalo wing sauce
2 cups plain Panko bread crumbs
4-6 large leaves of Boston lettuce
1 cup cooked white rice
Sliced black olives
Bleu cheese dressing
Scallions for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 375º F.
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Marinate the chicken in a container with the 1/2 cup Buffalo sauce, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Pour the Panko breadcrumbs into a shallow dish.
- Coat the chicken pieces evenly with the Panko and place them in the baking pan.
- Bake the chicken for 30 minutes.
- To assemble the wraps, fill each leaf of lettuce with the rice, chicken and top with black olives. Drizzle the Bleu Cheese dressing over the chicken. And then add the scallions.
These lettuce wraps are fantastic for either lunch or dinner. Feel free to experiment with toppings. I saw one recipe that included avocados and another that added celery. So try some other options as well as the ones above and enjoy these fabulous lettuce wraps. I will be adding this to my regular rotation of meals, they were that good!
Bourbon Chicken
One of my husbands favorite “Chinese” food dishes at the fast-food Chinese place at the mall is Bourbon Chicken. When I came across a recipe for it on Pinterest one day, I wanted to try it. I never thought to make it myself. And did you know, Bourbon chicken isn’t really of Chinese origin, it’s named for Bourbon Street in New Orleans. It’s most commonly found at Cajun-themed Chinese restaurants. Who knew?!
1/2 cup Bourbon
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp white wine
1 tsp sesame oil
4 chicken breasts, cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
Mix the marinade ingredients together in a large container or bowl. Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until the meat is done. Drain excess oil and water. Add half the marinade to the chicken and continue cooking until the marinade thickens. (I added a little extra brown sugar to help thicken the sauce.) Serve over rice.
The restaurant at the mall uses dark meat chicken, and I imagine that would be excellent with this recipe as well. We prefer white meat in our house, so I used that. But honestly, you could use either. I added some green onions on top, they added a nice flavor.
* The inspiration for this recipe came from the Jo Cooks website. Please check out their site for more recipes!