Stove-Top, Broccoli, Cheddar, and Chicken Casserole

Once upon a time, my college roommate / best friend and I lived in this super run-down red house in Minneapolis.  It was pretty bad… the floors were slanted, there was a hole, yes a hole, in our shower, and once, the ceiling leaked from the toilet in the upper unit right down into our kitchen – disgusting.

I was almost always done with class before her and would almost always be sitting on the couch watching Food Network when she got home.  She would walk in, say hello, and shake her head at me thinking “you really need to watch that every night?!”

Well, if you ask her now, she knew why.  I would cook up a storm, and now, so does she.  So much so, that back before we were both East Coast transplants and both still living in Minneapolis, she had me over and whipped up this little doozie.

Super easy, super fast, and super tasty – what could be wrong with chicken, broccoli, cheese, and a little stuffing.  This quick casserole (or hot dish, as they call it in Minnesota) comes together in no time – dice some chicken, cut some broccoli, dump in some soup, cheese, and milk, top it with stuffing… and into the oven it goes.

So last night’s dinner gives a shout-out to The Adventures of Liz and Molly – four years (and then a couple post-college) never to be replicated…

Stove-Top, Broccoli, Cheddar, and Chicken Casserole

Stove-Top, Broccoli, Cheddar,
and Chicken Casserole

What You Need:

• 3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
• 2 crowns, fresh broccoli, broken apart
• ½ c milk
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 ½ c shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 6oz package stove top stuffing

How You Do It:

1. Combine chicken and broccoli in a baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, combine soup, milk and cheese; pour over chicken and broccoli mixture.
3. In another bowl, add 1 ¼ c hot water to stuffing mix and stir to combine; top casserole with stuffing.
4. Bake at 400*  30 min. or until chicken is done and casserole is heated through.

Stove-Top, Broccoli, Cheddar, and Chicken Casserole recipe adapted from Kraft.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Here’s another one of those recipes that takes 5 minutes to prepare the night before and 30 seconds to set the slow cooker the next morning.  I tossed this one together Sunday night, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, set the timer on the slow cooker before I left for work yesterday, and when we got home, not only was dinner ready, but the house smelled amazing!

Whip up a quick sauce with ingredients most of which you probably have on hand, toss it over some chicken thighs (though if you prefer, you could probably use breasts), and shred it when you get home – it’s that easy.  The sauce has that garlic-honey flavor we all (or at least we all should) love and though there’s some onion and red pepper flake in there, you’d never know – in fact, I might even kick it up another notch with the red pepper flakes next time.  And don’t be shy about adding that blackberry jam – it adds a certain sweetness and cuts the sharp garlic, onion, and soy – but doesn't make it too sweet even when paired with the honey.

I served this over some rice noodles and spinach, but this would surely make some good sliders for an upcoming party, say Super Bowl?

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

What You Need:

• 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 c honey
• 1/2 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 c blackberry spreadable fruit
• 1/4 c hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 large pinch red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp cornstarch + 3 tbsp cold water

How You Do It:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, blackberry jam, hoisin, olive oil, garlic, onion and crushed red pepper flakes.
2. Add chicken to bottom of slow cooker basin and top with sauce.
3. Cook on low 6-7 hours.
4. Using tongs, break apart the cooked chicken – this should happen very easily.
5. Combine cornstarch and water and add to slow cooker.  Carefully mix to combine, cover, and crank the heat to high for about 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken adapted from JustATaste.com.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

Talk about an easy recipe!  Three ingredients, the slow cooker, and then finish it off in oven just to melt the cheese - can't get much better!  Not only that, but the chances you have two, if not all three of these ingredients in your pantry/refrigerator/freezer, is pretty good.

It's as easy as popping some frozen chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker, dumping a jar of your favorite salsa on top, and three hours later, the chicken is ready to be topped with cheese and transferred into the oven to melt.

That's it - it's that easy.   No hidden secrets, no fancy tools.  Just a slow cooker, a baking dish, and the oven and you're left with super moist chicken with great flavor from the salsa with as much heat as you desire, covered with gooey cheese.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

What You Need:

• 5 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 jar salsa
• 1 c shredded Mexican blend cheese

How You Do It:

1. Spray the basin of the slow cooker with cooking spray.  Add frozen chicken and cover with salsa.
2. Cook on high 3 hours.
3. Transfer chicken to baking dish and cover with salsa.  
4. Top with cheese and bake at 400* 15 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken recipe adapted from Jo Cooks.

Saucy Chicken and Spinach Skillet

Meeting with the trainer last night, I knew when I got home I was going to be much too exhausted to cook dinner, so I had totally planned on throwing something into the slow cooker yesterday morning.  But, much to my dismay, I had forgotten to pick up the key ingredient for the recipe when I went grocery shopping this weekend.  So I whipped together this one that had been sitting in my stack (ok, mountain) of recipes to try and luckily I had everything on hand. 

Now, I will admit, I would use a different jar of sauce next time since I didn't particularly care for the one I used, or even make my own and measure it out to the 24-oz needed, but overall this was really good, really easy, and a really balanced meal… especially since I about tripled the amount of spinach the original recipe called for.

A quick and easy meal to whip together, even after getting your ass kicked at the gym.

Saucy Chicken and Spinach Skillet

 

Saucy Chicken and Spinach Skillet

What You Need:

• ½ box spaghetti
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 16 oz fresh baby spinach
• Shredded mozzarella cheese

How You Do It:

1. Cook pasta to desired doneness.
2. While pasta cooks, cook chicken in a deep skillet until no longer pink.
3. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.  Add sauce, stir to combine, and simmer 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.
4. Add spinach in batches, and cook until wilted, stirring frequently.
5. Serve chicken/spinach mixture over pasta and sprinkle with cheese.

Saucy Chicken and Spinach Skillet recipe adapted from KraftRecipes.com

White Chicken Chili with Aged Cheddar

Ever go out for dinner and love something so much you search the interweb for hours upon days upon months for the recipe but come up empty-handed?  Well, that’s what I've been doing since April with the hubs and I went back to the Frozen Tundra (aka Wisconsin) to visit my parents for Passover. 

The night before the seder we always go out for dinner because the table is already set for the 30+ people my mother hosts, and this past year we went to a local place – Fratellos.  And what do they serve?  A little bit of everything, but a lot of something: the best White Chicken Chili I've ever eaten. 

Once we got home, back in April, I've been scrubbing every search engine possible to find the secret recipe, but to no avail.  I did, however, come across this gem, which is not the same but pretty close.

The color is there, the texture is there, and the flavor, just about there.  The milk, beans, and cheddar give it the creamy and thickness, and the little cumin really makes the flavor pop. 

I will not give up looking for the original recipe, for now, this will have to do.

White Chicken Chili with Aged Cheddar

 

White Chicken Chili with Aged Cheddar

What You Need:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeno, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 can (15 oz) cream-style corn
• 2 cans (4 oz each) diced mild green chiles
• 2 c whole milk (I used unsweetened almond milk to cut the fat)
• 1 can (15 oz) navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 c shredded cooked chicken
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 c white aged cheddar cheese, shredded 

How You Do It:

1. Add oil to large pot and sauté onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add cumin, corn, green chiles, milk, and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in chicken and season with salt (not much, if any, the cheese has enough) and pepper.
4. Stir in cheese until blended.

White Chicken Chili with Aged Cheddar recipe adapted from Food Network.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Over the weekend I made what is probably one of the best chicken recipes in my arsenal: Lemon Garlic Chicken.  I can’t really do this recipe justice without you actually trying it.  The chicken in tender, the garlic and lemon flavor is through the roof, and the house smells amazing for hours after.

Trust me on this one – don’t wait.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

 

Lemon Garlic Chicken

What You Need:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• ½ c seasoned breadcrumbs
• 5 tbsp butter
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 6 tbsp lemon juice

How You Do It:

1. While the oven preheats to 350°, melt the butter in the bottom of a deep baking dish.
2. Once the butter melts, and garlic and stir. 
3. Toss chicken chunks in breadcrumbs, place in baking dish with garlic butter.  Toss to coat. 
4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. 
5. Add lemon juice and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Lemon Garlic Chicken recipe from my mom.

Chicken with Balsamic Onions over Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms

This week my husband has been on a no-carbs, no dairy kick.  And you know what, he’s done a really great job of it.  It has, however, been a bit of a cooking challenge at night, as I like to have rice or a little cheese or some sort of carb (in moderation, of course) with dinner.  And while I've managed to pull off a week of no-carb, no-dairy dinners, last night’s was noteworthy. 

Added bonus – I found another opportunity to use the Herbs de Provence I snagged on our honeymoon last summer! 

Anyway – the chicken was so tender, and took only a few minutes to cook on the stove-top, thanks to slicing the breasts in half.  The onions on top – yum!  While I don’t love a super strong balsamic flavor (even on salad), they offered just enough flavor to give the chicken just the right kick.  I served this over some sautéed fresh spinach and mushrooms for more vegetables and a good balance.

Super easy, super quick – this is a no-carb, no-dairy keeper!

Chicken with Balsamic Onions over Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms

Chicken with Balsamic Onions over
Sauteed Spinach and Mushrooms

What You Need:

• 1/4 c flour
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half to make 2 thin cutlets each
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 c water
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 tsp Herbs de Provence*
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 2 bags fresh baby spinach

How You Do It – Chicken with Balsamic Onions:

1. In a large Ziploc bag, combine flour and pepper. Add chicken, one piece at a time, and shake to coat.
2. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
3. In the same pan, cook onion until tender.
4. Add water, stirring to loosen browned bits.
5. Add balsamic and Herbs de Provence; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve over chicken.

How You Do It – Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms

1. While the chicken and onions cook, in a separate large skillet, cook mushrooms until soft.
2. Slowly fold in spinach by the handful, until wilted.

* If you don’t have Herbs de Provence or cannot find them in the store, the original recipe calls for 1/2 tsp dried thyme and 1/8 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary.

Chicken with Balsamic Onions recipe adapted from HeritageSchoolhouse.

Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos

I probably have mentioned before I have a love for Mexican food.  We don’t have it often, but every once and a while I can't resist.  So, here’s a quick and easy taco recipe a bit different from chopped meat with a packet of seasoning. 

Other than the hard shells and enchilada sauce, I had everything for this recipe on hand.  I always keep shredded/diced cooked chicken in the freezer in 2-cup packages, usually leftover from making chicken soup, but could easily be pulled from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.  The seasonings are staples in my cabinet and I almost always have an onion or two in the pantry.  And with all the beer left from my birthday bash a couple weeks ago, there was no shortage there.

One pot does the trick for this one and really you need only about 20 minutes from start to finish – a quick and easy Mexican fix.  While there is a little beer in the recipe, didn't taste it much at all and the chili powder (which next time I would reduce) and enchilada sauce gave this a nice heat.

And – I cannot close out without a shout out to the hard shells.  We don’t normally go the hard taco route, but I saw an ad for these “fiesta flats” and had to see for myself.  Let me tell you – they are genius!  You can fill them and set them without tipping.  And while I still stand by the soft shell and feel hard shells get stale while they sit on the table (and most often than not, are stale when you take them out of the package) these were a rare treat.

Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos

Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos

What You Need:

• 2 c diced cooked chicken
• ½ large onion, diced
• 1 can enchilada sauce
• ¾ c beer
• 1 tbsp chili powder (I might try ½ tbsp next time)
• ½ tsp cumin
• Shells and toppings as desired (We topped ours with sour cream and a little shredded cheese)

How You Do It:

1. Sauté chicken and onion in rimmed skillet until onion starts to soften, about 2-3 minutes. 
2. Add seasonings, beer, and enchilada sauce.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to an almost-simmer, and cook an additional 15 minutes uncovered, until the sauce reduces to desired consistency.  (Note:  I added a little slurry to thicken at the end).

Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Wraps

School is over here in Jersey which means the hubs is on summer vacation.  Read: I'm home and bored and need entertaining.  Enter: old roommate looking to burn vacation days with a suggestion to head to Atlantic City.  My husband can't resist.  So off they went.

Since I had no idea what time they would be back and I had a beating session with the trainer at the gym, last night I popped some ingredients into the slow cooker and set it this morning to be ready when I got home from the gym.

This shredded chicken makes the best wraps ever.  Especially with my favorite lettuce alternative:  broccoli slaw.  The sweet and saltiness of the chicken mixed with the crunch of the slaw and a little hoisin (or as I call it, poison), these wraps are a mess to eat, but well worth the sticky fingers.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Wraps

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Wraps

What You Need:

• 3 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
• 1/2 c teriyaki sauce (I used this)
• 1 tbps freshly grated ginger
• 4 large cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• tortillas
• broccoli slaw
• hoisin sauce

How You Do It:

1. Spray basin of slow cooker with cooking spray.  Add chicken.
2. In a small bowl, combine sauce, ginger, and garlic.  Pour over chicken and toss to coat.
3. Cook on low, 7-8 hours.
4. Shred using tongs, add sesame seeds, and toss to combine with remaining sauce from cooking.

How You Eat It:

• I spread a little hoisin in the middle of a tortilla, top with slaw, and chicken.  Wrap!

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Wraps recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

Baked Chicken Panzanella

Have you ever had a panzanella salad?  You know, the Italian bread salad with tons of fresh bread and tomatoes tossed with leafy lettuce?  Well, this quick and easy casserole is a warm spin on said salad. 

The combination of flavors is subtle and amazing - diced chicken with seasoned diced tomatoes, seasoned croutons, and Italian dressing.  Nothing more than that.  Layered and baked, then topped with shredded parmesan, though I bet this would be just as good with an Italian blend or even shredded mozzarella (mom!).  Top it off with some fresh basil and you're good to go.

The croutons might be throwing you off a little, but the combination of some crunchy, some a little soggy really makes for an interesting twist.  I know, just give it a try!

Baked Chicken Panzanella

Baked Chicken Panzanella

What You Need:

• 2 c chopped cooked chicken
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with garlic, onion and oregano, drained
• 1 package (5 oz) Italian-seasoned croutons
• 1/4 c Italian dressing
• 3/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c sliced fresh basil leaves

How You Do It:

1. In a square baking dish, layer chicken, tomatoes,  and croutons. Drizzle with Italian dressing. 
2. Cover and bake 350* 20 minutes.
3. Sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered additional 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
4. Sprinkle with basil

Baked Chicken Panzanella recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

Orange-Basil Chicken

Meet my basil plant:

Basil!

While it might not look like more than a basil plant to you, you must understand - I cannot keep plants alive.  My mother-in-law buys me a fresh basil plant every year and I almost always kill it off.  The first year she pitied me when I killed off the first one and came later in the season with a second, I then killed as well.   Last year, while we were away cruising the Mediterranean on our honeymoon, my basil plant stayed with my MiL, which was a treat, as when we got back, it had doubled, yes doubled, in size!  She really knows how to keep 'em healthy! 

So this year when she came over for our Memorial Day BBQ, she brought me my plant - and lo and behold, it's growing like crazy!  So with all this basil, I started on my search for basil-infused recipes that didn't include red sauce - something non-Italian.

Insert tonight's dinner - while the basil wasn't at the forefront (and honestly, I could have used more), this was a great balance of orange, soy, ginger, and basil.  The fresh broccoli added a nice crunch and the rice soaked up the sweet, yet salty sauce.

A good use for basil - but yes, stay tuned, we'll get my favorite bolognese and pesto recipes eventually.  Until then, say a prayer (if you believe in that sort of thing) for the well-being of my basil plant!

Orange-Basil Chicken

Orange-Basil Chicken

What You Need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 3 tbsp cornstarch, divided
• 2 small broccoli crowns, cut into pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 3/4 c orange juice
• 5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 c honey
• 3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 c chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp grated orange rind

How You Do It:

1. Toss chicken with 2 tbsp cornstarch, and set aside.
2. Sauté broccoli in 1 tbsp hot oil in a large skillet, stirring occasionally until crisp-tender, remove from skillet and set aside.
3. Sauté chicken pieces in remaining 1 tbsp hot oil, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until done. Reduce heat to medium.
4. Whisk together orange juice, soy sauce, honey, ginger, and remaining 1tbsp  cornstarch. Add orange juice mixture and broccoli to chicken, and cook, stirring occasionally until sauce is thickened. 
5. Stir in basil and orange rind.

Orange-Basil Chicken recipe adapted from MyRecipes.com.

Skillet Chicken & Noodles

Do you ever have one of those nights when comfort food sounds like the only thing that will hit the spot but when you think about how many times you'll have to hit the gym to work if off,  you change your mind?

Well this skillet version of chicken pot pie actually isn't so bad.  Combining veggies with chicken, noodles instead of crust, and a low-fat sauce, you've got that comforting chicken pot pie sans pie.  And - it's all done on the stove-top in one pan.  Perfect for a weeknight comfort.

Skillet Chicken & Noodles

Skillet Chicken & Noodles

What You Need:

• 1 lb chicken breasts, sliced thin
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 c chicken broth
• 1 can condensed cream of celery soup (I used this)
• 1 package frozen vegetables
• 2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
• 1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

How You Do It:

1. Cook chicken and onion in a large skillet with a cover until chicken is browned and onion is tender.
2. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook 15 minutes until noodles are tender and chicken is fully cooked.

Skillet Chicken & Noodles recipe adapted from Pillsbury.com.

Chicken Fajita Pizza

Every once and a while you need a taste of home.  So over the weekend I emailed my mom to ask her if she could send some of my favorite recipes from when I was a kid.  This one is just that.  I used to ask her to make this when I was home from college for a long weekend or break.  It’s nothing really special, but to me, it really was – probably because it married two of my favorite things: Mexican food and pizza.

Saute up some chicken, an onion, and bell pepper – spread it atop partially-baked crust – add some salsa and cheese – golden brown – YUM.

There’s not much more I can tell you about this one other than it was just as good as I remembered it and exactly what I was hoping for.

Chicken Fajita Pizza

 

Chicken Fajita Pizza

What You Need:

• 1 10oz can refrigerated pizza crust
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in thin strips
• 1 ½ tsp. chili powder
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 c salsa
• 2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

How You Do It:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.  Spread out dough on large rimmed baking tray (I used my favorite fromPampered Chef).  Bake for 7-9 minutes or until very light golden brown.
2. While the crust pre-bakes, mix chicken and chili powder and cook in rimmed skillet 3-5 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Add onions and peppers; cook an additional 2-3 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and veggies are crisp-tender.
3. Remove crust from oven and spoon chicken mixture evenly over partially baked crust. 
4. Spoon salsa over chicken; sprinkle with cheese. 
5. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Chicken Fajita Pizza recipe adapted from my mom.

Not-So-Bourbon Bourbon Chicken

I must preface this by stating there is no bourbon in this recipe, but to many your probable dismay.  Sorry.  I must also say, I can't say as if I know what actual bourbon chicken tastes like, but this was pretty darn good.  I suppose I would just call it "some sort of Asian-style chicken", as it had those flavors, none of which were actual bourbon. 

With a combination of ingredients you are bound to have on hand already, this is a quick fix for take-out, where yet again, you control the sodium and the ingredients in general.  While the original recipe called for chicken thighs, I chose chicken breasts since they are a bit better for us.  I also used Splenda instead of actual sugar.  The sauce was very flavorful and the sauteed onions and garlic really make this dish.  Serve this up with some steamed broccoli and rice and you've got what you would normally get when the delivery shows up!

Oh, and mom?  No need to double the sauce - there was plenty!

Not-So-Bourbon Bourbon Chicken

Not-So-Bourbon Bourbon Chicken

What You Need:

• 3 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 large garlic cloved, minced
• 6 packets Splenda (or 1/4 c sugar)
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp vinegar (I used white wine vinegar because it's what was in my pantry)

How You Do It:

1. Saute onions in oil until golden. 
2. Add chicken and garlic, and cook until chicken is no longer pink.
3. In a small bowl, combine sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, and vinegar.  Once chicken is fully cooked, add sauce to pan, toss chicken to coat, and let simmer until the sauce naturally thickens.

Not-So-Bourbon Bourbon Chicken recipe adapted from KeyIngredient.com.

Skillet Chicken Manicotti

Usually manicotti recipes usually call for some ricotta,  but the hubs is anti-ricotta and interestingly enough, this recipe didn't call for any.  A win for him, for sure.  And usually you have to boil the pasta, combine all the filling, stuff the shells, and bake.

Tonight's dinner, however, is another one of those simple meals made in one skillet.  Granted, you need two small bowls do some mixing and get your hands pretty messy, this is as easy as mix-stuff-boil.

Taking some help from store-bought sauce and dressing, combined with cooked chicken and a couple pantry staples and you have a simple meal in 30 minutes... again.

Top it with a little cheese and away you go!

Skillet Chicken Manicotti

Skillet Chicken Manicotti

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 c spaghetti sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 c water
• 2 c diced cooked chicken
• 1/4 c Italian dressing (I used this)
• 1/4 tsp dried basil leaves
• 1 c shredded Italian blend cheese (I used this)
• 8 manicotti shells, uncooked

How You Do It:

1. Combine sauce, tomatoes, and water.
2. In separate bowl, combine 3/4 c sauce mixture, chicken, basil, dressing, and 1/2 c cheese.  Stuff into manicotti shells and place in rimmed skillet.
3. Top with remaining sauce and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer 8 minutes.
4. Turn, recover, and simmer an additional 8 minutes.
   Top with remaining cheese and let stand until melted.

Skillet Chicken Manicotti recipe adapted from Kraft.

Southwest Tortilla Bake

"Don't mind that this looks like mush," I said as we sat down to the table for dinner tonight.  Yep, tonight's meal didn't make the best of presentation, and frankly, I should have snapped a photo before I cut into this puppy, but alas, I did the best I could.

Ok, I digress.  Yes, tonight's dinner looks like a mess on the plate, but the flavor was awesome.  I love Mexican food, as I believe I have mentioned previously.  And while I don't make it all that often, when I do, I do.  This recipe was so easy to make - really, it only has six ingredients, most of which you can purchase from the store and use as-is.  Food Network's Sandra Lee has coined this a "semi-homemade" dish.  And you know what, they are good and sometimes better than making something 100% from scratch.

This one is ooey and gooey and cheesey and delicious.  A deep pie pan is totally recommended - I used my not-so-new-but-first-time-being-used Pampered Chef deep dish pie pan I got for my - gulp - wedding shower.  It was perfect.  And don't be alarmed about how full the pin pan is - mine was to the rim and didn't make a mess of the oven.

My only suggestion - which I will do on the next go-around of this recipe - is to really let this sit for a solid 5-7 minutes before you attempt to cut and serve.  I think this would have helped it stay togheter and not look like mush on the plate.

Yet again, another Mexican fiesta on a plate!

Southwest Tortilla Bake

Southwest Tortilla Bake

What You Need:

• 1 can Progresso Recipe Starters Creamy Roasted Garlic with Chicken Stock cooking sauce
• 1/2 c salsa
• 2 c cooked and shredded chicken
• 1 can Mexicorn, drained
• 3-4 tortillas
• 2 c shredded taco cheese

How You Do It:

1. Combine cooking sauce and salsa in bowl.
2. Combine corn and chicken in separate bowl.
3. Spread 1 cup sauce on bottom of pie pan.  Top with 1 tortilla, 1 cup sauce, 1/3 chicken mixture, and 1/3 cheese.  
4. Repeat tortilla-sauce-chicken-cheese layers until the pie pan is full, ending with cheese.
5. Bake 350* for 30 minutes until the center is warm and the cheese is lightly browned.
6. Let sit for 5-7 minutes to set before serving.

Southwest Tortilla Bake recipe adapted from Pillsbury.com.

Creamy Chicken Ramen with Spinach and Mushrooms

Tonight's dinner brought me back to the days of Freshman Year in Territorial Hall when the best - and only - heat source for cooking in your room was the microwave sitting atop your mini-fridge.  And there really were only a couple things one would make, or frankly could afford:  Easy Mac and Ramen Noodles.   So when I saw this recipe for a different take on Ramen noodles, I was totally interested.  I mean really - when is the last time you had Ramen noodles?

But this was more than just your freshman-dorm-room ramen.  This is what I'll call "adult ramen" - loaded with veggies and chicken, combined in a creamy sauce.  The flavors are far more than the salty packet of seasoning packaged with the noodles.  It's creamy and light and really complements the veggies and noodles well.

While it's been quite some time since the days of dorm-room-ramen and the "Adventures of Liz and Molly" (who would have thought a two-story Target would have a cart escalator?!), this ramen dish was a nice remake of a college staple.

Creamy Chicken Ramen with Spinach and Mushrooms

Creamy Chicken Ramen
with Spinach and Mushrooms

What You Need:

• 3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced thin
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 c water
• 4 oz light cream cheese (1/2 package)
• 1 3-oz package chicken-flavored Ramen noodles
• 2 handfuls fresh spinach
• 1/4 bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 5 grinds fresh black pepper

How You Do It:

1. In a large skillet, cook chicken until lightly browned and cooked through.  Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper and cook until onions are translucent.
3. Add water, seasoning packet, and cream cheese.  Bring to a boil, stirring until the cheese has melted and the texture is smooth.
4. While the sauce cooks, boil water, break noodles in half, and cook until done.  Drain.
5. Add cooked noodles, chicken, and spinach to sauce.  Add pepper and stir to combine.

Creamy Chicken Ramen with Spinach and Mushrooms recipe adapted from Costco Connection.

Jack Daniels Glaze

Last week I had an impromptu lunch with a good friend of ours who loves TGIFridays’ Sesame Jack™ Chicken Strips appetizer.  Have you tried them!? What’s not to love – deep fried, crispy chicken tenders covered in a sweet Jack Daniels glazed sauce.  He mentioned to me how he had recently picked up a bottle of sauce similar to that at Fridays, which is when I remembered coming across a recipe on Pinterest!  Since we had no plans for the weekend, we invited him over to see just how accurate this recipe was.

Jackpot!

This sauce, sweet and sticky, with just a hint of Jack, was perfect on some baked-not-fried chicken tenders.  And what’s best – even my 8-year-old-picky-neighbor liked both the chicken AND the sauce!

Good on chicken tenders, we have all decided this sauce would be amazing atop anything on the grill… or just with a spoon.  A definite keeper.

Jack Daniels Glaze

Jack Daniels Glazed Chicken Tenders

What You Need:

• 1 head of garlic, roasted (instructions below)
• 2/3 c water
• 1 c pineapple juice
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 1 1/3 c brown sugar
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tbsp dried onion
• 1 tbsp Jack Daniels Whiskey 
• 1 tbsp crushed pineapple
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

How You Do It:

1. To roast the garlic, cut the top off of a head of garlic so the ends of the cloves are exposed. Peel off any excess layers of the papery skin. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and loosely wrap with aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes, or until the cloves appear golden brown.
2. In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine water, pineapple juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer.
3. Squeeze out the roasted garlic and whisk in to the simmering liquid, discard the papery skin. Add the lemon juice, onion, whiskey, pineapple, ginger, and red pepper flakes, and stir to combine.
4. Continue to simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally, or until the liquid has reduced by half and is thick and syrupy.
5. Thicken, if desired, by making a slurry and adding to sauce.

Jack Daniels Glaze recipe adapted from SunnySideUp.com.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

A week or two ago, my colleague suggested I implement a 5-star rating to indicate just how much we liked the meal I was dishing about.  She said she would be more likely to try a recipe I ranked with 5 stars than one I'd only awarded, say, a 3.  I told her I'd consider it.  Well, until I actually get that up and running:

Chris -- this would be a 5!

Talk about an easy and delicious dinner!  This puppy literally took 3 ingredients, 2 minutes to prepare, 6 hours to cook (all on its own), made 8 servings, and took 1 bite to become a new favorite.  And really, what's to be wrong with chicken, bbq sauce, and pineapple.  I mean, really.

This made enough for the hubs and I to have dinner last night, lunch for today, and another healthy 4 servings packaged into the freezer.  Plenty.

Just one little note -- when you get home or go over and look at the slow cooker and see all that extra sauce, fret not.  When you shred up the chicken, the sauce becomes the perfect amount (even for you, mom!).  And, if you're worried about the pineapple disintegrate during the low and slow cooking process, worry not.  They stay whole.

A new shredded chicken recipe for me, for sure.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

What You Need:

• 5 chicken breasts, mine were frozen
• 1 20-oz bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 1 20-oz can pineapple chunks, drained

How You Do It:

1. Place chicken breasts in bottom of slow cooker.
2. Top with entire bottle BBQ sauce.
3. Top with drained pineapple.
4. Cook on low 6 hours. 
5. Using tongs, shred chicken right in slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Chicken recipe adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff.

Baked Chicken and Spinach Shells

You know the ol' saying "mothers know best"... Well, my mother [almost] always knows best.

You see, last night on my way home (hands-free for all you worriers) we were discussing what we had made for dinner the night before and what was on the menu for last night when I admitted to a flopped dinner two nights ago (one of these times maybe I'll share a flop story) and how I was worried about how dinner was going to pan out last night. After last night's miss and while we waited for the best eggplant parm in the area to arrive at our doorstep, I prepared dinner for last night.

I followed the recipe, adding more garlic of course. I cubed and browned the chicken, added in the minced garlic, wilted the spinach, and added the wine. I boiled and drained the pasta and tossed it all together. Sprinkled the cheese over the top and popped it in the fridge.

My concern - no liquid. Enter mom. Her suggestion: add some chicken broth and bake it covered. So, marching orders were given to the hubs as to how much broth to add and when to pop this sucker into the oven and I twisted my zumba butt off.

When I got home, I pulled the dish out of the oven and tasted to ensure mom's plan worked... SUCCESS!

Thanks mom - you always know the tricks!

Baked Chicken and Spinach Shells

Baked Chicken and Spinach Shells

What You Need:

• 3 chicken breasts, cubed
• 8 large garlic gloves, pressed
• 1 bag baby spinach
• 1/4 c white wine
• 1 box pasta shells
• 1/2 c chicken broth
• 2 c shredded mozzarella

How You Do It:

1. In a large pot, cook pasta as directed.
2. While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet, cook cubed chicken until the juice run clear.
3. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
4. Add spinach and cook until wilted.
5. Add wine.
6. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and add to chicken and spinach mixture.
7. Pour into deep 9x13 baking dish. Pour broth around edges and top with cheese.
8. Lightly cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes at 350*.

Baked Chicken and Spinach Shells adapted from Bitchin Camero.