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!
One Pot Dinner
I love a dinner you can cook in one pot. Less clean up is a very good thing! This recipe was inspired by Martha Stewart and my need to use up the mushrooms, broccoli and chicken I had in the fridge. I never thought of cooking a meal like this, and it might very well be life changing for me!
The idea of this recipe is to throw everything into the same pot and cook it all at once. I had to use up some chicken that was already cooked, otherwise, I would have thrown in the raw chicken as well. But since it was pre-cooked, I didn’t want to dry it out. So I added it at the end, just to heat it up.
Here is the recipe for this fabulous dinner.
Ingredients:
8 ounces of pasta
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup cubed chicken
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
Salt & pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Place the pasta in your pot, along with the chicken, broccoli, onions, and mushrooms. Pour the chicken broth over the top and add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium heat and cook. Stir the pasta frequently with a wooden spoon to break it up and prevent it from sticking to the pan. Cook the pasta for about 9-10 minutes. Most of the liquid will have evaporated. Add the half and half and heat until warm. Remove the pan from the stove and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese before serving. Enjoy!
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!
Chicken Pot Pie Crescent Braid
This afternoon, my husband mentioned that we should find something to do with the 2 packages of crescent rolls we didn’t use for Thanksgiving. So I went to Pinterest and there it was. The Chicken Pot Pie Crescent Braid. It was fantastic and not as difficult to make as I thought it would be. I would definitely make this again! It’s rich and creamy and perfect for a winter evening.
Here is my version of the recipe:
Ingredients:
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup chopped peeled potatoes
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. minced onion
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
4 oz. of cream cheese
2 packages (8 oz. each) of crescent rolls
Directions:
1. In a saucepan on medium high heat, combine the carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drain and set aside.
2. In a saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter Turn the heat to low and whisk in the flour, salt, pepper, and minced onion. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Simmer until the liquid becomes thick. Add in the cream cheese and stir until well combined.
3. Add the vegetable-chicken mixture with the sauce. Mix well.
4. Take the crescent rolls and arrange in a flat rectangle and roll it out on the surface on which you plan to bake. Make sure all of the seams have flattened and are no longer seems. With a knife, cut 1 inch slits across each side, making sure to leave at least 2-3 inches in the middle. (See photo above for visual.)
5. Take your filling and spread it up and down the center. Starting with the end closest to you, take the strips and place them over each other, like you are braiding them. Continue to do this with each strip until you reach the end.
6. Seal any edges that you may see to prevent the filling from leaking out.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 or until the top is golden brown.
* The recipe that I got this from used crescent seamless dough sheets, I did not have those, so I adapted the recipe to the regular crescent rolls that I had on hand. They worked just fine.
French Onion Chicken Noodle Casserole
Here is another perfect comfort food dish that everyone in the family will enjoy. My husband went back for seconds and took leftovers for lunch! That’s a sure sign it’s a winner in my house.
Ingredients and instructions:
- 4 cups cooked chopped chicken
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 16 oz container French Onion Dip (I made my own with a dry mix and sour cream)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 12 oz egg noodles
- 1 cup crushed French fried onions
Cook egg noodles according to package directions, drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Combine chicken, soup, dip, and cheese. Stir in cooked egg noodles. Pour mixture into casserole dish. Top with crushed french fried onions. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until heated through and until the onions are slightly browned. Serve with a nice vegetable on the side and enjoy!
