Chicken Salad Sandwich!!!

A friend of mine made this for Bunco last year and I have been thinking about it ever since :).  Its delish served on croissants and makes a huge batch! Enjoy!

1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
4 cups cubed chicken (I use the canned chicken from costco found with the tuna cans)
2 cups mayo
1tsp salt
2 TBSP Lemon Juice
2 cups grapes halved
2 cups cucumber peeled and diced
1 cups celery diced
12 oz bag spiral macaroni cooked

Mix it all together and refrigerate. It's best if you make it the night before. A single batch serves a bunch of people.  Serve on Croissants!!!!

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce

2 cans green enchilada sauce
1 small can green chilies
3-4 chicken breasts, shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8oz cream cheese (softened)
7-8 large flour tortillas
2 cups of Cheese (I used Monterey Jack)

Cook and shred chicken
Mix Chicken, chilies and cream cheese together in a bowl
In another bowl mix sauce and chicken soup
Add 4 spoonfuls of sauce mixture to chicken mixture and blend
Spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom of pan
Fill tortillas with 1-2 spoonfuls of chicken mixture.  Roll up and place in pan.
Pour sauce over the filled tortillas
Sprinkle cheese over the top
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for an hour.

Fettuccine Alfredo- LOWER FAT!!!

I love the creaminess and richness of a good alfredo sauce- but my waistline does not. In a search for healthier recipes, I bought the book by Rocco Dispirito titiled "Now eat this!" (author of "Eat This, Not That".) When I saw an alfredo recipe, I was excited but skeptical- the fat in alfredo is what makes it yummy! But, I gave it a try and it was so so so good! Just as creamy and flavorful as the full fat original- surprisingly! I will never make the high fat version again! Here is the recipe!

8 oz whole-wheat fettuccine
1 TBSP butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. cornstarch
pinch of ground nutmeg
3/4 cup low fat, low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
(I just used the shaker can of Parmesan)
3/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt
black pepper

Prepare Fettuccine as directed on box

While pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant- just a minute or two.

Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch and nutmeg in a small bowl. Whisk in the chicken broth until smooth. Pour the mixture into the saute pan with the butter and garlic. Raise the heat and bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened slightly. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the cheese until melted. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the yogurt until the sauce is smooth. Season as desired with pepper.

**Note- I added a touch of skim milk at this point to thin it a bit because it was very thick and creamy! You may or may not need to- depends on your preference.

Serve over fettuccine. I also included strips of grilled chicken and broccoli! Yum! Even one of my 3-year-olds who NEVER eats pasta of any kind (except mac and cheese) gobbled it up!

Enjoy!

Nutrition info:

336 calories and 10.4 grams of fat (compared to the high fat restaurant version, according to the author, is 1,220 calories and 75 grams of fat! Ouch!)

Candied Almond Salad

This salad is DELISH.  You know its good when your sisters boyfriend (who is a trained Chef) wants the recipe!  Enjoy!!

 Candied Almond Salad

 Salad:
 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken (I just got precooked chicken from Costco)
 3/4 cup crumbled bacon
 1 cup candied almonds
 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese
 4 cups romaine
 2 cups iceburg lettuce

Poppy seed dressing:
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons toasted poppy seeds

Directions:
In medium size pan, melt ½ cup sugar and 2 tsp butter, then add 1 cup of sliced almonds and stir.  Spread out on foil until they are completely cooled, then separate.

Poppy seed dressing: In a food processor or blender pulverize sugar.
add the mustard, salt, and vinegar. Blend until the sugar is
dissolved. With the machine slowly running, gradually add oil to the
sugar mixture. Remove mixture from the machine and stir in the poppy
seeds. Chill for at least 20 minutes.

Toss salad and dressing together and serve.

Chicken Chimis with Green Sauce....

DELICIOUS!  These were so simple to make and tasted like you were eating at a Mexican restaurant!!  Not a very healthy meal, but a great treat.

Chicken Chimichangas with Green Sauce 

1 pound shredded cooked chicken (I bought pre cooked chicken from the store to make it quick and easy!)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) bag shredded monterey Jack cheese
1/2 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
2 (10.5 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chilies
5 large pitted green olives
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 lime, juiced
vegetable oil
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup diced green onions
sour cream

1. Pour the cream of chicken soup into a blender along with the green chiles, olives, jalapeno, and lime juice. Puree until smooth, then pour into a saucepan, and warm over medium-low heat while proceeding with the recipe.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and taco seasoning until well blended. Fold in the chicken. Evenly divide mixture among the 8 tortillas. Fold each tortilla into a rectangular packet around the filling.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry 4 chimichangas at a time until golden brown, then drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
4. To serve, place a chimichanga on a plate, and ladle the warm sauce overtop. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and green onions. Finish with a dollop of sour cream.

from all recipes

Texas Chicken Quesadillas

I found this recipe when I was browsing allrecipes.com looking for a quesadilla type recipe that was a little different. This is what I found and it is so so so good- I have made it several times! By preparing the onions as directed, it gives them a carmelized texture/taste. The only thing I did different is added taco seasoning to the chicken as it cooked- my own opinion is that the chicken needs seasoned (the recipe didn't call for seasoning) and I can't stand plain chicken....

2 TBSP olive oil, divided
1 onion sliced into rings
1 TBSP honey
3 skinless boneless chicken breasts (cut into chunks or strips)
Taco seasoning packet or mix (my addition)
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup (or more....) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (or more....) shredded monterey jack cheese
8 (7-10in.) flour tortillas

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) In a large skillet, heat 1 TBSP oil over med high heat. Cook and stir onion slices until translucent. Add honey and stir until onion is golden brown- about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
3) Place remaining oil and chicken in skillet- add seasonings as desired- cook until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in BBQ sauce and evenly coat chicken.
4) Place 4 tortillas on a large cookie sheet and layer individually with chicken, onions, cheeses. Top with remaining tortillas.
5) Bake uncovered for 15-20 min. or until cheese is melted. Don't let tortillas become too crisp.

Remove from pans and top as desired with sour cream, lettuce, tomato, corn, WHATEVER!!

Serves 4

One-Dish Crockpot Chicken

Okay, so I realize this doesn't look Amazing...but it just isn't a pretty dish!  But, it was easy, yummy and a I generally have all the ingredients on hand!  I love recipes like this!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I just throw them in frozen)

10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken, or celery, or mushroom, soup
1/3 cup milk
1 package stove top stuffing mix and seasoning packet
1 2/3 cup water

Place chicken in slow cooker
Combine soup and milk and pour over chicken
Combine stuffing mix, seasoing packet, and water.  Spoon over chicken.
Cover.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours

Enjoy!!!

Chicken Enchilada Pasta.....

Another GREAT Recipe from My Kitchen Cafe!  She needs to write a cookbook!!  My hubby LOVED this.  It makes a lot, so next time I am going to freeze half of it!  Enjoy!

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 (10-oz) cans green chili enchilada sauce
2/3 cup red enchilada sauce
1 can large black olives, cut in half
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
16-20 oz. penne pasta (Depending on how "saucy" you want the pasta)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don't boil!). Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.

Honey Mustard Chicken Bake

This is adapted from an allrecipes.com recipe. Very good and so very easy- a perfect weeknight meal. My husband and 2 of my 4 children gave it rave reviews (trust me, that is good! The other two just didn't know what they were missing.) I served it with herb rice and vegis. It would also be good on sandwich rolls.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 TBSP butter, melted
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 deg. Grease a 13X9X2 pan.

2) In a small bowl, stir together the honey, Dijon mustard, melted butter and pepper. Place chicken in baking dish and pour the honey mustard sauce over it.

3) Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, basting frequently with the sauce until chicken is firm and juices run clear.

Notes:
- The original recipe called for 1/2 cup honey. One reviewer recommended keeping it even with amount of mustard to keep from being too sweet, so that is what I did and it was oh so good and a bit tangy! (The original recipe also called for a whole stick (1/2 cup) of butter- but trust me- 2 TBSP is plenty!)

-I will definitely make this again as is and I also want to try another tip from a reviewer that sounded good. She recommended dipping the chicken in the sauce- then coat in bread crumbs and then pour remaining sauce over it. She says it adds a little crunch and takes away the need for basting.

Enjoy!!!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This recipe was given to me by my friend, Julie. It is super easy and addictive to eat- the more you eat- the more you want it!!! It also works just as well with low fat ingredients, so you can save a lot of calories!

2 10 oz cans of chicken (drained)
1/2 cup of Franks Red Hot (you can go up to 1 cup based on how hot you want it)
1/2 cup of Ranch Dressing
1 8 oz bar of cream cheese (softened so it will be easy to stir in)
1 cup of Mozzarella cheese

Use a fork to "fluff" the chicken in the can and put in a medium size bowl. Add the Red Hot and the Ranch dressing and mix. Stir in cream cheese and then mozzarella cheese. Pour into a small casserole/ oven safe dish and back at 325 deg. for 20 minutes. Or, it can be microwaved until heated well throughout.

Serve warm with Tostitos tortilla chips.

YUM!

Skillet Chicken with Broccoli, Pasta, and Parmesan Cheese

I found this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe. I love her recipes and this one didn't disappoint. My two year old especially loved it!


Skillet Chicken with Broccoli, Pasta, and Parmesan Cheese

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares
Table salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 ounces ziti (penne makes a great substitution - I've used both with great results)
4 1/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4-5 cups broccoli florets (depending on how much broccoli you want)
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped coarse
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (asiago was the cheese in the original recipe and can be interchanged, but I always have parmesan on hand so I used that)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Stir the chicken and continue to cook until most, but not all, of the pink color has disappeared and the chicken is lightly browned around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the pasta, 3 cups of the water, and the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is very thick and syrupy and almost completely absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 2-3 minutes.

Uncover and return the heat to medium-high. Stir in the cream, parmesan, and reserved chicken with any accumulated juices and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing more grated parmesan at the table, if desired

Sweet Chicken....

I love this chicken. It was so good, I couldn't stop eating it! I served it with rice that I cooked half water/half coconut milk. TASTY!!

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
8 chicken thighs
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 garlic cloves, minced

Combine coconut milk and water. Pour into greased slow cooker.

Add remaining ingredients in order listed.

Cover. Cook on low 5-6 hours.

Chicken in a Pot....

(I took this picture half way through the cooking process...it was smelling so good I had to sneak a peek!!!)

1 lb. bag baby carrots
1 small onion, diced
14 1/2 oz. can green beans
3 lb whole chicken, cut into serving size pieces (I just used a few frozen chicken thighs)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1/2-1 tsp. dried basil

Put carrots, onion, and beans on bottom of slow cooker. Add chicken. Top with salt, pepper, broth, and wine. Sprinkle with basil.

Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours, or high 3 1/2-5 hours.

Enjoy!!

Easy Crockpot Chicken.....

I love crockpot recipes. I don't know why I don't use my crockpot more, its so easy. This was tasty, easy and I had all the ingredients on hand....who could ask for anything more!

4-5 chicken breasts (I used thighs and just threw them in frozen)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 package lipton onion soup mix

combine cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix in crockpot. Add chicken and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6)

Serve over noodles or rice. Enjoy!!

Taco Bell Quesadillas

I REALLY like Taco Bell's quesadillas. On Mother's Day I asked him to replicate them. Thankfully someone in cyberspace had done the dirty work. Here's the recipe we used-even minus a few ingredients they were great. We use the George Foreman for quesadillas (and other sandwich smooshing.)

Ingredients

SAUCE
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons minced jalapenos, slices
2 teaspoons jalapeno juice, from minced jalepenos
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash salt

QUESADILLAS
4 flour tortillas
4 chicken tenderloins
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
2 slices process American cheese

Directions
1 Combine sauce ingredients and stir until smooth.
2 Grill chicken in vegetable oil and cut into thin slices.
3 Preheat skillet over medium heat.
4 One at a time, lay tortilla into hot skillet and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of each shredded cheese and 1/2 cheese slice on one side of the tortilla.
5 Arrange about 1/4 cup chicken slices over tortilla on the same half covered with cheese.
6 On the empty side, spread about one tablespoon of sauce.
7 Fold over, and press gently with spatula.
8 Cook until cheese is melted and slice each into 4 pieces.

Creamy One-Pot Pasta

This is actually a recipe from one of my Pampered Chef cookbooks. It was very easy and really good and also lower in fat. Makes for a simple but yummy weeknight dinner. I forgot to buy the can of sun-dried tomatoes, so I used regular petite diced tomatoes and drained the can. I sauteed the garlic in a tsp of olive oil. I also didn't have fresh basil, so I sprinkled on some dry basil and it was good! I made it a meal by adding 3 sliced chicken breasts that I had grilled and seasoned. You can leave chicken out and have a meatless meal or a hearty side.

4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced
1 jar (7oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, undrained
3 cans (14 1/2 oz each) chicken broth (5 1/4 cups)
1 lb uncooked penne pasta
1 head broccoli (or 2 cups small florets)
2 medium carrots, peeled
4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese (neufchatel)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
grated fresh parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil (optional)

Place garlic and 1 TBSP oil from sun dried tomatoes into an 8qt stockpot. Cook garlic over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until garlic is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add broth. Return to burner, increase heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta; cover and simmer vigorously 8-10 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked but still firm. Stir occasionally. DO NOT DRAIN!

Meanwhile, cut broccoli into small florets and place into a bowl. Slice carrots and add to bowl. Drain sun-dried tomatoes; pat dry with a paper towel. Slice tomatoes into thin strips. Add to bowl with carrots and broccoli.

Cut cream cheese into cubes. Add vegis, cream cheese, salt and black pepper to stockpot. Stir until cream cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook an additional 2-4 minutes or until vegis are tender. If desired, top with grated parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil.

6 servings: each serving contains 410 calories, 11 grams total fat, 5 grams fiber.

Crock Pot Mango Chicken....

Crock Pot Mango Chicken
The Recipe Club
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups tomato based mango salsa (I found one at the local grocery store that was mango with lime, the original site I found this used mango peach from Costco.)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP salt

put all ingredients in the crock pot on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6. shred chicken. use in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, ect.

**I love easy crock pot recipes. We really enjoyed this recipe. Its a little different because you are making your meat sweet instead of spicy for tacos or burritos but we ended up really liking it!

Chinese Chicken Salad...Revisited

I thought that it would be good to revisit a few of my favorite recipes on this blog. This happens to be the first recipe I posted on here, and it happens to be one of my absolute favorites. We had this for dinner with just french bread a couple of nights ago and it was the perfect light dinner! Enjoy!

1 head iceburg lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1-2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 small pkg. sliced (not slivered) almonds
4-5 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1/2 package won tons or gyoza skins

Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil (not olive or peanut)
1/2 cup sugare
1-2 tablespoons rice vinegar (add a little at a time to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Slice won ton skins into strips.
Fry in oil until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Combine first 4 ingredients.
Combine dressing ingredients in jar or shaker.

Just before serving, add chicken and fried won ton skins.
Shake dressing vigorously to mix, then toss with salad. Serve immediately

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Meat

The pictures aren't great but the food is.

This meat makes a ton. My mom froze half of it and said it worked really well. Super easy, makes a lot and tastes great...perfect when you're having a get together.

4 lbs. of chicken or pork thawed or frozen (you can throw the chicken in still frozen)
1/4 c. chili powder

2 cans chopped green chiles (4 oz. cans)

salt to tast (about 1 1/2 tsp.)

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp. taco seasoning

2 tsp minced garlic (either fresh or dried)

about 2 TB water (you can add more if it starts to look dry)

1/2 c. sour cream

Stir ingredients in a bowl and cover meat in crock-pot.
Cook on low 8-10 hours

Yummy and Easy Chicken....

Dip boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) in plain yogurt. Roll in dressing crumbs. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes. Enjoy!!