Chicken Pot Pie {Easy & Delicious}

I got the idea for this meal from my mother-in-law, Jullee, and then tweaked it to make it my own. It is super quick and easy, and SO good!

Chicken Pot Pie
1 lb. chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 16 oz. bag frozen veggies (your favorite)
2 pie shells, frozen and thawed, or home-made
2 cans cream-of-brocolli soup
1 tsp. poultry seasoning, or thyme or sage is good too

Cook the frozen veggies in your microwave for a few minutes, mostly just to thaw them out. Mix cooked chicken, veggies, soups and spices. Pile into one of the pie shells. Place the other on top and press to seal around the edges. Cut vent holes in top crust. Place pie on a baking sheet to catch drips, and bake in a 350 degree oven about 45-50 minutes, or until center of crust is golden and crispy. Let sit about 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti

Another delicious pasta dish from the Pioneer Woman. Yum!

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole (Pioneer Woman)
1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken
1 stick 1/2 Cup Butter
16 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Sliced
¼ cups Dry White Wine (I use cooking wine)
Kosher Salt And Pepper
¼ cups Flour
2 cups Chicken Broth (reserved From Chicken Or Canned)
1-½ cup Whole Milk
¼ cups (additional) Dry White Wine
1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Whole Black Olives, Chopped
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Or To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Extra Cheese, For Sprinkling
1 pound Thin Spaghetti

Place chicken in a pot of water and boil on medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool slightly. Keep broth in pot.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Throw in mushrooms, add 1/4 cup white wine, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until liquid has totally evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet. Set aside.

Bring broth to a boil. Break spaghetti into thirds (shorter pieces). Add spaghetti pieces to boiling broth and cook. Drain when al dente. Remove meat from bones and shred until you have 2-plus cups of shredded chicken.

Return large skillet to medium-low heat. Add 6 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle flour over butter, whisking to combine. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Pour in 2 cups broth and whisk to combine. Pour in milk, additional 1/4 cup wine, salt and pepper to taste, then cook and bubble until thick. Turn off heat, add Parmesan cheese, and stir.

Add mushrooms, chicken, and chopped olives. Stir to combine and check seasonings. Add cooked spaghetti and stir.

Turn into a 9 x 13 casserole pan. Bake at 350 degrees or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with salad and warm, crusty bread.

Amazing Chicken Wings...Finally!

This is my version of Winger's Chicken Wings and their Original Amazing Sauce. I posted my version of their delicious Asphalt Pie almost a year ago- and promised I'd soon post my version of their wings. So almost 1 year later...here it is! These wings are sweet and spicy, but not so spicy that my kids won't eat them. If you like them hotter, just decrease the amount of brown sugar in the sauce or add some Tabasco. Be sure to serve them with some thinly sliced celery sticks and lots of Ranch dressing! Loaded potato skins are also a great side dish.

Amazing Chicken Wings

4 lbs. chicken wings

1/3 c. cornstarch

1/2 c. Frank's Red Hot Sauce (original)

1 c. brown sugar

3 tb. butter

oil for frying

Pour about 2 inches of oil into a large saucepan. Heat to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, place cornstarch in a large ziploc bag. Rinse chicken wings and pat dry with paper towels. Toss wings in bag of cornstarch. When oil is heated (it should bubble vigorously when you place a wing in), carefully place a single layer of wings in oil (you will probably have to fry the wings in two batches). Fry 8-10 minutes, until outsides are golden & crispy and meat is cooked through. Drain on paper towels and fry second batch. While wings are cooking, Mix Red Hot Sauce and brown sugar in small saucepan, and heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Get out a large bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Place drained wings in bowl and pour sauce on top. Place lid on bowl and shake until wings are coated in sauce (you may want to do this over the sink, just in case!). Serve with some celery sticks and plenty of Ranch for dipping. Enjoy! Serves 6 hungry people as a main dish, 8-10 as a side or party dish.

Chicken Tortilla Soup & How to Cut an Avocado

I have my old standby Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe that I got from a roommate in college, but I saw a new recipe on Pioneer Woman's blog and liked some of her ideas. So I took both recipes and combined them. We absolutely loved the results- this has all the things I loved about my recipe (corn and a sprinkle of lime juice at the end), plus some new flavors- like the black beans and ro-tel instead of a tomato and fresh jalapeno- which was always a little too spicy for the kids. I also loved this method of cooking the chicken- it was so flavorful and juicy! It is my new go-to recipe for quesadilla chicken, and you can change the spices to adapt it to any recipe that calls for cooked chicken.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (adapted from Pioneer Woman)

2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1-½ teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup Diced Onion
1/2 cup Diced Green or Red Bell Pepper
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 can Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies (I used mild)
32 ounces Low Sodium Chicken Stock
3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
4 cups Hot Water
1 can Black Beans, drained
1 can Corn Kernels, drained
3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
Toppings:
Diced Avocado
Grated Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheese
Lime Juice
Chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.
Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, peppers, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.
Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.
Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips and corn kernels.
Ladle into bowls, then top with diced avocado, grated cheese, chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of lime juice!

Here is a super easy and not-so-messy way to cut an avocado:
1. First, cut all the way around the avocado, splitting it in half lengthwise. Make sure to cut all the way to the pit. Open the 2 halves by gently twisting them in opposite directions.

2. To remove the pit, carefully insert your knife into the pit. Twist it slightly and the pit will slide right out (make sure your avocado is ripe enough, or some avocado flesh will stick to the pit. You don't want to waste any of that yummy goodness!)

3. You can now scoop out the flesh, but wait! If you are slicing or dicing, it is much less messy to do it while the flesh is still in the skin. Just slice it right in there, being careful not to cut through the skin (or your fingers!). If you need it diced, just turn it and slice again the other way.

4. Now just scoop the flesh out of the skin using a medium-sized metal spoon. Now wasn't that easy?!

5. Now what to do with that avocado? Use it to top sandwiches, hamburgers or tortilla soup. Or mash it with a potato masher and make it into guacamole- awesome on enchiladas, quesadillas, or as a dip for chips. If you are making guacamole or another dip (how about Mexican Caviar or Shrimp Ceviche Dip?), make sure to save that pit. Store the dip with the pit in the middle and plastic wrap pressed down onto it to help keep the avocado from turning brown.
*Need to know how to pick a good avocado? Here are my tips: first, you need to decide when you need the avocado. If you are grocery shopping Monday and don't need it until the weekend, go ahead and choose a very firm avocado (it will be bright green in color). You can speed up the ripening process by placing it in a paper lunch bag with an apple- but this still takes a day or two. If you need the avocado right away, you'll have to buy one that is already ripe- it should give a little when you press the skin (sort of like a peach), but still be slightly firm (it will be dark green). I NEVER buy the ones that are already mushy and black!

Chicken Fajitas (and homemade seasonings)

Easy, quick and delicious, these are a perfect weeknight meal. Although you could certainly use a fajita seasoning packet, the homemade spice mix I used is easy as can be and uses spices found in any Mexican-food-lover's pantry. I have also included the recipe I use for homemade taco seasoning. They both make enough to season several batches of fajitas or tacos, so you can just make them up and store them for the next time!

Chicken Fajitas

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" strips (or use beef if you prefer)

4 tb. canola oil, divided

fajita seasoning (4 1/2 tb. homemade, or 1 packet)

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 medium onion, cut into strips

10 corn or flour tortillas

1 c. grated cheese

In large saute pan, heat 2 tb. of the oil over medium-high heat. Saute peppers and onions until crisp-tender and nicely browned (even some smoky black parts are great on these babies!). Remove from pan and set aside. Heat remaining 2 tb. oil over medium-high heat. Toss chicken pieces in fajita seasoning, then saute in pan until chicken is cooked through (about 5-7 minutes). Add peppers and onions back to pan, toss and heat until warmed through. Serve in warm flour tortillas with grated cheese.

Fajita Seasoning

3 tb. cornstarch

2 tb. chili powder

1 tb. salt

1 tb. paprika

1 tb. sugar

2 1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

1 1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. cumin

Mix all together, store in airtight container. Makes enough for 3 batches of fajitas (use 4 1/2 tb. mix for each pound of meat).

Taco Seasoning

2 tb. chili powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. paprika

3 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

Mix all together, store in airtight container. Makes enough for 4 batches of tacos (use 4 tsp. mix for each pound of ground beef or chicken chunks). To prepare, cook 1 lb. meat until browned and cooked through. Add 4 tsp. taco mix and 1/2 c. water, mix, and simmer about 10 minutes, or until almost all liquid is cooked out. Serve in hard or soft tortillas w/ cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa.

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadilla

Super simple and super delicious, I think this is now my favorite quesadilla. We like to eat quesadillas a lot, as they are so fast and easy, and how can you go wrong with a crispy flour tortilla stuffed with gooey cheese and yummy fillings? We like them with black beans and corn, cilantro-lime chicken, and spicy shrimp, but these are our newest faves. This recipe is slightly adapted from Pioneer Woman's blog.

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

2 chicken breasts

cajun seasoning

fresh or canned pineapple, cut in chunks

bbq sauce

2 c. grated cheese

10 flour tortillas

nacho jalapeno slices, optional

Sprinkle chicken liberally with seasoning, then grill or pan-fry until cooked through. Cut into strips. Layer bbq sauce, cheese, chicken, pineapple, and jalapenos on 5 of the tortillas. Top with the other 5. Cook on an electric griddle or fry pan coated with butter over medium-high heat, flipping once, until cheese is melted and tortillas are crispy. YUM!

Sweet Autumn Chicken

This was really easy and yummy, and perfect for fall. Plus, the chicken cutlets make enough for 2 meals (at least for my family of 6), so you can freeze the rest and have another quick meal on another night!

Sweet Autumn Chicken (Family Fun Magazine)

20 ounces fresh or frozen cubed butternut squash
4 cubed Golden Delicious apples (I used Gala)
6 frozen chicken cutlets (see below)
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper

For the cutlets (makes 12, you can wrap and freeze half for another meal):
6 large boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves, rinsed, blotted dry, and sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup mustard
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2-1/4 cups panko bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a shallow dish, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, and garlic powder. Spread the bread crumbs in another shallow dish. Working with one cutlet at a time, season both sides of each one with salt and pepper, coat it with the mayo mixture, then the bread crumbs. Place the cutlets on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cutlets for 10 minutes, rotate the sheet, and continue baking until golden brown and cooked through, another 10 to 15 minutes. (After cooled, you can tightly wrap and freeze half the cutlets for later use. To use, just heat on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.)

While the chicken is cooking, microwave the cubed butternut squash until slightly soft — 6 minutes for fresh, 10 to 12 minutes for frozen. Place squash on a greased cookie sheet and toss in cubed apples. Make a glaze by reducing the apple cider in a saucepan over high heat for 10 minutes. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the butter and salt and pepper to taste. Pour half the glaze over the squash mixture. Bake the squash mixture on the oven's upper rack for about 15 minutes.

Serve each cutlet atop the squash and apples, drizzled with the remaining glaze.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This yummy and easy recipe from Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe was my first attempt at traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu. It turned out not only delicious, but pretty, too! Thanks, Melanie!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Note:To make sure the cheese doesn't leak out of the chicken while baking, use large (at least 8-ounce) chicken breasts and chill the stuffed chicken breasts in the refrigerator before breading.

25 Ritz crackers (I used whole wheat crackers and loved the extra nuttiness)

4 slices hearty sandwich bread, white or wheat (again, used homemade wheat bread and it was hearty and delicious)

6 tablespoons butter, melted

8 thin slices deli ham (about 8 ounces)

2 cups shredded swiss cheese

4 thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total), see note above

Salt and pepper

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Pulse the crackers and bread in a food processor until they are coarsely ground. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse to incorporate together. Transfer the crumbs to a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the crumbs are lightly browned. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow baking dish (a pie plate works great!). Leave the oven on. Top each ham slice with about 1/4 cup shredded cheese. If your ham slices are too smile, shingle two ham slices on top of each other to create a larger slice and roll the cheese up in that. Roll tightly and set aside. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Cut a pocket in the thickest part of the chicken breast and stuff each pocket with 2 ham/cheese rolls. Pull the top flap of chicken over the rolls and press to seal (you can use a toothpick to gently secure the pocket edge, if you like). Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the stuffed chicken, covered, for at least 20 minutes.In another shallow dish or pie plate, beat the eggs and mustard. Place the flour in a third shallow dish. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Working with one stuffed chicken breast at a time, coat the chicken lightly with flour and then dip in the egg mixture, covering both sides. Dredge the chicken in the toasted bread crumbs, pressing lightly to help the crumbs stick to the chicken. (The breaded chicken can be refrigerated covered for up to 1 day.) Transfer the chicken to a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the lowest rack of the oven until the bottom of the chicken is browned, about 10 minutes. Move the chicken to a middle rack in the oven, reduce the temperature to 400 (you don't have to leave the chicken out of the oven while the temperature adjusts, just put it back in the oven and then reduce the temperature), and bake until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (160 degrees on an thermometer), about 25-30 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

BBQ Chicken Braid

This is another fabulous recipe from Melanie over at My Kitchen Cafe. We took one braid to a family with a new baby, and enjoyed the other ourselves. It was delicious, and so pretty! Serve with a nice green salad to round out the meal.

BBQ Chicken Braid
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped

1 ½ c. bbq sauce (we love Sweet Baby Ray's or Famous Dave's)

1 red onion, sliced

1 c. mozzarella, shredded

1 c. cheddar, shredded

1 recipe French bread rolls dough (recipe follows, I actually used my whole-wheat bread dough found here)

Roll ½ of dough after 1st rising into a 15 x 11 inch rectangle. Place on greased cookie sheet. Cut 1" wide strips on two sides of dough, leaving the middle third intact. Mix chicken with BBQ sauce. Spread 1/2 of chicken, onions, and cheeses along the middle. Alternating between sides, braid strips over filling (see photo below). Fold ends up and press so filling doesn't ooze out. Repeat with other ½ of dough and filling ingredients. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes (makes 2 braids). I brushed butter on top after baking, though that wasn't in the original recipe. YUM!

French Bread Rolls
*Makes about one dozen rolls
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12-14 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth (or greased saran wrap), and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for 12-13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Spicy-Honey Chicken & Salad w/ Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette

I got this recipe from the Our Best Bites blog, and it was great! We tried both the salad and the chicken by itself, and liked both. However, when I made the chicken alone I used breasts and it wasn't as good, so I'd definitely recommend following the recipe and using thighs. BTW, if you are worried about the "spicy" part, it's really not!
Spicy-Honey Chicken
2 tsp vegetable oil
Rub:2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp coriander (I didn't have this, so I left it out)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (I only used 4 large ones)
Glaze:
1/2 C Honey
1 Tb Cider Vinegar

Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken a few minutes on each side, until cooked through (I cooked it in a hot covered greased skillet for about 6 minutes per side).
While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it's not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2T honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.
Drizzle extra couple tablespoons of glaze on top of chicken.
I often just cook the chicken in the oven at 425 for 25 minutes, slice it and toss it with the glaze.

You can eat this as is with some side dishes, or you can use it in this fabulous salad:

Spicy-Honey Chicken Salad
1 large head red leaf or romaine lettuce, torn
1 recipe spicy-honey chicken, cut in strips
2 diced avocadoes
2 diced mangos
Honey-citrus vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Pile lettuce, avocado, mango and chicken on a plate. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Serves 4-6 as a main dish or lots more as a side. Oh, this salad was SO good. I think it's my new fave!

Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette
1/2 C fresh orange juice
3 T fresh lime juice
1 T honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 C olive or canola oil

Place all ingredients in a tightly sealed jar and shake your bootie (and the jar) vigorously. Store in the fridge, and shake before dressing salad.

Sticky Coconut Chicken with Coconut Rice

This is another great recipe from Melanie over at My Kitchen Cafe. I served sauteed garlic sugar-snap peas on the side.
Sticky Coconut Chicken
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 can coconut milk, divided
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (I only used 1/2 tsp)

Marinade chicken in 1 c. coconut milk, ginger, pepper and red pepper flakes at least one hour. Grill on barbecue (I actually baked mine at 425 for about 25 minutes, because my grill is broken, and it was great!).

Glaze:
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (again, I used 1/2 tsp)

While the chicken is grilling, bring above ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is reduced and thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Be patient because it takes a little while. But once it starts getting really thick, immediately take it off the heat! Glaze both sides of chicken the last few minutes of grilling and serve chicken over rice.

To make the rice, use the remaining coconut milk to replace part of the water when you cook your rice. Serve rice with toasted coconut on top. Mmmm!

Chicken Cilantro Quesadillas

I feel a little silly posting a recipe for quesadillas, but the flavors in these were so good, I just had to share. And by the way, I used a quesadilla maker (it makes the outsides nice and crisp), but if you don't have one just use a frying pan or griddle and flip to cook on both sides.

Chicken Cilantro Quesadillas

10 medium-sized flour tortillas

2 c. shredded cheese (I like colby-jack)

1 large chicken breast

1 tb. taco seasoning

2 tb. canola oil

2 tb. lime juice

1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro

salsa, sour cream, and guacamole (recipe here), if desired

Heat oil in skillet. Rub chicken with taco seasoning, cook in hot skillet about 4-5 minutes per side, until just cooked through. Slice or shred chicken, toss with lime juice and cilantro. Sprinkle 5 tortillas evenly with cheese, then with chicken mixture. Top with other 5 tortillas. Cook in quesadilla maker until cheese is melted and tortillas are slightly crispy. Slice into wedges and serve with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

BBQ Chicken Pizza

15" pizza crust (I use my whole-wheat dough, recipe here makes enough for 3 crusts)
1/2 c. pizza sauce

1/2 c. BBQ sauce, divided (our faves are Sweet Baby Ray's and Famous Dave's)
2 c. (8 oz.) mozzarella cheese, grated
1 c. pineapple chunks
1 large chicken breast

olive oil, s & p

1/2 medium onion, sliced

Roll crust out and place on pizza stone or tray. Mix pizza sauce and 1/4 c. bbq sauce. Season chicken w/ salt & pepper, cook in skillet over medium-high heat in olive oil for about 5 minutes per side, or until no longer pink in center. Chop chicken and mix w/ remaining 1/4 c. bbq sauce. Cover crust with sauce, mozzarella cheese, chicken, onion, and pineapple. Bake in a pre-heated 425 oven for about 15 minutes, or until crust is browned and cheese is bubbly. Mmmm!

Southwestern Crock-pot Chicken

This was so fast and easy and had great flavor! I will definitely make it again. Recipe slightly adapted from Erin at Sister’s Cafe.

Southwestern Crock-pot Chicken

1 small bag frozen corn

1 can black beans

3 large frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 16-oz jar medium salsa

shredded cheddar cheese

chopped cilantro

tortilla chips

sour cream

diced avocado

Pour bag of frozen corn in bottom of crockpot. Place frozen chicken breasts on top of corn and cover with rinsed and drained black beans and jar of medium salsa. Cook on high for 1 hour, and then on low for 4 hours. Shred chicken with forks. Add chicken and chopped cilantro back to crock-pot and mix everything together. Serve with tortilla chips and add toppings to individual servings.

**It is very important that you use MEDIUM salsa in this. Mild simply isn't flavorful enough. Be sure to serve with tortilla chips, and not tortillas. The salty crunchy chips make this so good!

Chicken & Dumplings

Easy. Fast. Warm. Delicious. Enough said.

Chicken & Dumplings

3 frozen chicken breasts

2 tb. chicken bouillon granules (or 6 cubes)

8 c. water

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. dried parsley

2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tb. baking powder
1/2 c. cold butter
1/2 c. milk

Place chicken in 6 quart saucepan with water and bouillon granules or cubes. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink inside. While chicken is cooking, make dumpling dough: mix flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in milk. Roll out on floured surface to about 1/4" thick. Cut with cookie cutters, using all dough. Remove chicken from broth to cool. Season broth with pepper and parsley, bring back to boil. Gently place dumplings in broth, submerging each one. Cover and cook about 10 minutes. Chop chicken and add back to broth, warm and serve.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

This recipe is from my Pampered Chef cookbook. It is a nice change from the old Chicken Noodle Soup (though I love my homemade version of that too, find it here). The lemon flavor gives it a very refreshing taste.
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
2 c. chopped cooked chicken
2 medium carrots, peeled, halved and sliced
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tb. fresh snipped parsley (or 1 tb. dried)
1 garlic clove
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 cans chicken broth
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2/3 c. uncooked long-grain white rice

Saute carrots, onion and garlic in a pan with a little oil for a few minutes. Stir in chicken, lemon juice and zest, soup, broth, pepper and rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir parsley into soup just before serving.

Gourmet Chicken Garlic Pizza

Ever since we moved an hour away from the closest Papa Murphy's, I have been looking for a copycat recipe for their pizza of the same name- it is one of our faves. I never could find one, so I made up my own. Oh, man, was it good! The original calls for green onions, but I didn't have any so I used red. Choose the one you prefer- they are both good! *We have a new family tradition of having homemade pizza and watching a movie every Friday night, so I'll post some other pizza recipes as I make them.

Gourmet Chicken Garlic Pizza

1 15-inch pizza crust (I make my own using my whole-wheat bread recipe- one recipe makes about 3 crusts)

3/4 c. ranch dressing

2 tb. fresh minced garlic

2 c. (8 oz.) mozzerella cheese, grated

2 small or 1 large chicken breasts

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 large tomato, chopped

1/2 red onion or 3 green onions, chopped into 1" pieces

1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

2 tb. parmesan cheese

1 tsp. basil, oregano, or Italian seasoning

Roll out pizza dough and place on pizza stone or greased baking sheet. Mix together ranch dressing and garlic, spread on dough. Sprinkle mozzerella cheese over sauce. Heat saute pan on medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper, cook in hot oil for about 7 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Chop chicken and spread on pizza. Evenly place tomatoes, artichokes, and onions on pizza. Mix parmesan and herb of choice, sprinkle on top of pizza. Bake on 425 for about 12-18 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and crust is browned. Slice and enjoy!

Mamacita's Gourmet Smothered Burritos

When we were in California last summer, we had some yummy, huge burritos at a little place called Jalisco's Gourmet Burritos. We liked them so much that I had to invent my own after we got home. We stuff flour tortillas with black beans, cilantro rice, salsa chicken, and cheese. I added the smothered part myself, because I like my burrito a little more moist, but you could leave off the enchilada sauce if you prefer it that way.

Mamacita's Gourmet Smothered Burritos

10 large flour tortillas

2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked

1 tsp salt

1 tb. lime juice

1/4 c. fresh cilantro leaves

1 large can refried black beans (or just smash some regular canned beans)

2 chicken breasts, cooked

1/4 c. salsa

2 c. grated cheddar cheese

1 can green enchilada sauce (optional)

Cook your rice according to package directions, adding salt, lime juice and cilantro with water. Chop cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces, mix with salsa. On each tortilla, layer some rice, black beans, chicken and cheese. Roll up tightly. Lay in large greased baking dish, pour enchilada sauce over burritos, if desired. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Creamy White Chili

This is another recipe I found on My Kitchen Cafe. It definitely has a little kick, but if you tone down the chiles and cayenne to make it mild, even the kids will eat it. Dustin thought it tasted a little like chicken enchiladas. YUM!

Creamy White Chili

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder (I used 2 cloves fresh minced garlic)

1 tablespoon oil

2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I would decrease or even omit this for kids)

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately.

Coconut Curry Chicken & Chicken Divan

These are my 2 favorite chicken curry dishes. We especially love the Coconut Curry Chicken, a Thai-inspired dish I adapted from my Pampered Chef cookbook. It is chock-full of tender curried chicken, sweet juicy pineapple, and sweet bell peppers, covered in a dreamy coconut sauce and topped with toasted coconut. The Chicken Divan is also easy and fabulous and came from a college roommate. I serve both on top of sticky rice.
Coconut Curry Chicken
3 cups hot cooked white rice
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 tb. curry powder
1 tb. cornstarch
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 can coconut milk (NOT cream of coconut)
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
2 tb. snipped fresh cilantro
Toasted coconut (toast on cookie sheet in 350 oven, stirring occasionally, until golden brown).
Coat non-stick pan with oil or spray. Saute peppers with a dash of salt until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine curry, cornstarch, ginger, and salt in zipper bag. Pat chicken pieces dry, add to bag and toss to coat. Remove peppers from pan, heat on high with a little more oil. Saute chicken pieces and garlic until chicken is browned, about 6-7 minutes. Reduce heat, add coconut milk, peppers, and pineapple. Simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes. Add cilantro, toss. Serve on top of rice with a sprinkle of toasted coconut.

Chicken Divan
2 heads fresh broccoli, cut into small florets, or 1 bag frozen broccoli florets
2-3 c. diced, cooked chicken breast
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. curry powder
Steam broccoli until tender, drain. Meanwhile, combine mayo, soup, lemon juice, and curry powder in 11 x 7 pan or large casserole dish. Stir in cooked chicken and broccoli. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minute, until hot and bubbly. Serve over hot cooked rice.