Chicken and Rice Casserole

Chicken and Rice Casserole

2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
2/3 c brown rice
1 c chicken broth
1 squash, sliced thin
1 small onion, diced
1 zucchini, sliced thin
1 4oz can green chiles, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
Cook rice according to package directions in chicken broth.  Mix all ingredients and 1 c cheddar in a large bowl and spread in a greased 9x13 casserole dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove cover and continue baking for 10 minutes.

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

4 chicken breasts, cubed
1 bottle Ken's buffalo sauce
1/2 bottle hot sauce
1 packet dry ranch mix
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp minced garlic
Slider buns

Add all ingredients except buns to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 2 hours. Serve with ranch dressing.

Smothered Chicken Pasta

Smothered Chicken Pasta

2 chicken breasts

4 slices bacon

Caesar salad dressing

1 1/2 tbsp butter

1 1/2 tbsp flour

3/4 c heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 c chicken broth

4 oz sliced mushrooms

1 can diced Italian tomatoes, drained

Onion, chopped

1 c gruyere cheese

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

8 oz angel hair pasta

Marinate chicken breasts in caesar dressing overnight. 

Cook bacon in large skillet until crispy, drain and crumble once cool. Cook chicken in bacon grease until browned (don't worry about it being cooked completely through). Move chicken to square glass baking dish, drain bacon grease. 

Melt butter in skillet, add onion and mushrooms and sauté for 5-7 minutes until starting to caramelize. Stir flour into skillet with onions and mushrooms, cook 1 minute. Stir in heavy cream and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, salt, pepper, gruyere cheese, and 1/8 c parsley; stir well. Pour sauce over chicken and top with diced tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

While baking, cook pasta and drain. After 30 minutes, top pasta with chicken and pour over sauce. Top with crumbled bacon and more parsley.

Greek Chicken

Greek Chicken

Chicken thighs, bone-in

1 c plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tbsp dried oregano

Lemon zest from 1 lemon

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp salt

Freshly cracked pepper

1/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Mix all ingredients except chicken in mixing bowl. Place chicken in large ziplock bag, pour marinade over chicken and toss to coat. Marinade overnight. Bake for an hour at 375 degrees.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

We love jalapenos around our house, so when I saw this recipe, I just had to try it!  It was a pretty quick, easy dinner for a weeknight.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

1/2 c panko bread crumbs
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp taco seasoning
1 egg
2 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 jalapenos, minced
2 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 and place an ovenproof rack onto a rimmed baking dish.  Spray with cooking oil.  In a small skillet, combine panko and oil.  Cook over medium heat until panko is golden brown and crispy.  Remove to a shallow bowl, stir in taco seasoning.  In another shallow bowl, beat the egg.  Cut a pocket into the side of each chicken breast, not quite cutting through.  Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper.  In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, cheddar, and minced jalapenos.  Stuff each chicken breast with the cream cheese mixture, using toothpicks to secure if needed.  Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the panko mixture.  Place the chicken on the rack and cook 25-30 minutes.

Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken

This is such an easy weeknight meal!  Often when we have busy nights with softball games and Bible studies, this is a good meal to cook all day and enjoy when we can.  You can serve it with tortillas, tortilla chips, or on its own.

Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken

2 frozen chicken breasts
1 can corn
1 can black beans, drained
1 can Rotel (I use the hot version with habaneros)
1 8oz pkg cream cheese (I usually use Neufchatel cheese to save a few calories)
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup water
Tostitos Baked Scoops
Fat free sour cream
Place first 6 ingredients in a slow cooker.  Cook on low all day (about 8 hours).  Serve with tortillas or tortilla chips and top with sour cream.

White Chicken & Artichoke Lasagna

I've always wanted to try a white lasagna recipe and when I found this one with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes, I just had to make it!  It has a great flavor and makes enough for a crowd!  I froze at least half of it and we'll still have left-overs this week.  I listed the spinach as optional because I honestly forgot it when I made it.  The dish was great without it, but I do think the spinach would go well, so feel free to add it if you want.

White Chicken & Artichoke Lasagna

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 c mozzarella cheese
1/2 c grated parmesan
1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 pkg cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchatel)
1 c milk
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 lasagna noodles, cooked (I always use whole grain noodles if available)
spinach, drained (optional)
Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese, milk, garlic salt, and garlic until well blended.  Stir in basil.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, chopped artichokes, 1 c mozzarella, parmesan, tomatoes, and drained spinach.  Mix half of cream cheese mixture into the chicken mixture.  Spread 1/2 of the remaining cream cheese mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 dish.  Cover with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture.  Repeat twice.  Top with remaining noodles and cream cheese mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.  Cover and bake for 25 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Spicy Chicken Roll-Ups

I made these for a party recently.  They are super easy and very tasty!  Feel free to play around with the ingredients too.

Spicy Chicken Roll-Ups

2 chicken breasts
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
12 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 c green onion, chopped
6 flour tortillas (I used sundried tomato)
Boil chicken until done.  Shred into fine pieces.  Whisk softened cream cheese until smooth.  Add dry seasonings and garlic, mix well.  Stir in shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, cilantro, and green onion.  Finally, stir in chicken until mixed well.  Spread mixture over 6 tortillas leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges.  Roll up tortillas tightly.  Cut with a serrated knife into bize-size roll-ups.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

These sandwiches are super easy and really good!  The pineapple really adds a good touch to the flavor of this meal.  It's a great summer go to meal for the grill.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

2 chicken breasts
1/2 bottle teriyaki marinade (I used Mrs. Dash Spicy Teriyaki with no salt added & no MSG)
2 slices of pineapple (cored and peeled)
2 slices swiss cheese
2 crispy hamburger style buns (a crispy bun works better, too soft and the bread gets mushy)
2 tbsp butter
Using a meat pounder, flatten chicken breasts to preferred thickness.  Place chicken and marinade in large ziploc bag, allow to marinade in refrigerator at least 1 hour.  Grill chicken until no longer pink, about 10-15 minutes.  Brush pineapple slices with melted butter.  Grill pineapple about 5 minutes, until nice grill marks show.  Top each chicken breast with a slice of cheese and allow cheese to melt.  Toast bun then spread with a little more teriyaki sauce.  Layer chicken then pineapple on bun.  Serve with grilled veggies.
Adapted from http://livinglight58.blogspot.com/

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings

I have always wanted to experiment with wings.  This baked chicken wings recipe turned out much better than I thought it would, although I would make some changes to it next time around.  We ended up liking the dry rub better than the sauce we made, but I am going to go ahead and give both recipes.  Feel free to try this out and play around with the ingredients.  Comment and let me know what you change!

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings

1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp sea salt
2 lbs chicken wings
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp hot sauce
2 tbsp basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
Place wings on non-stick baking pan.  Mix first 4 ingredients, sprinkle over both sides of chicken wings.  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, flip chicken wings.  Continue to cook for 10 more minutes.  While cooking, mix the olive oil, hot sauce, basil, garlic, parmesan, and seasoning salt in medium bowl.  When wings are done, dip each wing into the sauce.  Serve with ranch dressing.  (Again, we really liked the dry rub, so try some wings with just the first 4 ingredients and feel free to experiment with the sauce!)

Grilled Cajun Chicken Pasta

This is a great, easy pasta recipe that has a lot of flavor!  It makes a delicious weeknight meal.

Grilled Chicken Cajun Pasta

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Cajun or Creole seasoning
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp black pepper
2 boneless chicken breasts
8 oz bowtie pasta
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup butter
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Combine olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp cajun seasoning, white vinegar, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes. Pound chicken breast to 1/4" thickness. Place chicken in a ziplock bag, add marinade, toss to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Grill until chicken is no longer pink (I grilled the chicken on my stove with a grill pan).  Cook pasta according to package directions.  In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, remaining Cajun seasoning, remaining pepper, and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Whisk together on low heat for 5-6 minutes until smooth and the sauce begins to thicken.  Slice chicken and place over pasta, pour sauce over chicken and pasta.  Sprinkle a little more shredded parmesan cheese on top and serve with salad.
Adapted from http://www.plainchicken.com/

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have recently discovered some good slow cooker recipes.  I absolutely love having dinner ready when I get home from work!  This is a great soup that cooks all day and can be frozen for later.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 chicken breasts
2 cans Ro-Tel
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp chile powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried cilantro
Put chopped onion, cans of beans, rotel, corn, chicken broth, water, and spices into slow cooker and stir to mix. Place chicken breasts in mixture, making sure they are submerged. Cook on low 8-9 hours. Before serving, shred the chicken breasts with two forks (they should fall apart easily).  Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

This is another great Pinterest recipe.  It's super easy and makes a delicious slow cooker meal.  I hope you enjoy!

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

3 chicken breasts
1 8oz box cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 packet dry Italian dressing mix
Soften cream cheese.  Mix cream cheese, dressing mix, and cream of chicken soup in slow cooker.  Heat on low about 30 minutes, or until smooth.  Add chicken and cook on high 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.  Serve over rice.
Adapted from http://forkinit.blogspot.com/

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

I am loving Pinterest!  If you haven't checked it out and you like to cook, you should!  All of the recipes I've tried so far from there have been great.  This is another recipe from Pinterest with a few changes of my own.  Enjoy!

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 8oz container chive & onion cream cheese
1 can Italian style tomatoes, drained
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
8oz rigatoni pasta
3 cups mozzarella cheese
Cook chicken.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Place olive oil in large 9x13 baking dish.  Add chopped onions, toss in oil.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.  Add 1 tsp garlic, place back in oven for 5 more minutes or until onions are soft.  Meanwhile, drain thawed spinach on paper towels.  Place onions and garlic in large bowl, add cream cheese, spinach, tomatoes, and seasoning.  Add 1 1/2 cups mozzarella in bowl.  Add in chicken and pasta, stir until well mixed.  Spoon mixture in baking dish, sprinkle evenly with remaining mozzarella.  Bake covered on 375 for 30 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking 15 minutes.  Serves 4-6.
Adapted from http://www.savingmoneylivinglife.com/

Mediterranean Chicken with Parmesan Couscous

I found this recipe online and it exceeded my expectations after a few changes by me of course!  It is a great, quick, and easy chicken dish.  It has a little kick to it, so beware if you aren't a fan of spicy.  It is also my first time having couscous and it went very well with this dish.

Mediterranean Chicken with Parmesan Couscous

1/3 c grated romano cheese
1/4 c panko bread crumbs
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp paprika
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 chicken breasts
1/4 c Greek nonfat yogurt
1 pkg parmesan couscous
Mix first 6 ingredients in medium sized bowl.  Place yogurt in another medium sized bowl.  Dip chicken in yogurt, turning to coat.  Then dip chicken in bread crumb mixture, turning to coat.  Place a small amount of olive oil in a skillet (enough to cover the bottom) and turn heat to medium.  Cook chicken in skillet until no longer pink inside, about 7-10 minutes on each side.  Meanwhile, cook couscous according to package instructions.  Serve over couscous with a vegetable of your choice.  Serves 4.

Chicken Divan

This is another delicious recipe from my mother-in-law.  It's an easy weeknight meal!

Chicken Divan

3 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 10-oz package frozen chopped broccoli
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c mayo
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
Boil chicken and cut into small pieces.  Steam broccoli, drain.  Place broccoli in bottom of 2 qt glass baking dish.  Add chicken on top.  Mix cream of chicken soup, mayo, lemon juice, and spices.  Spread over chicken.  Top with sharp cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Shrimp & Chicken in Sour Cream Sherry Sauce

This is another great recipe from my mother-in-law.  You definitely must try this one!  As I've said before, I'm not really a fan of shrimp, but Brent is, so the combination of chicken and shrimp in this dish makes everyone happy.  

Shrimp & Chicken in Sour Cream Sherry Sauce

3 tbsp margarine
3-4 tbsp flour (start with 3 tbsp, add more if you desire thicker sauce) 
1 c chicken broth
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 c sour cream
1/4-1/3 c dry cooking sherry (this varies depending on how you like the taste, start with 1/4 c and add more if you like)
1 1/2 c diced chicken
1 1/2 c chopped shrimp
1 tbsp olive oil

Cook chicken in small skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil until no longer pink, usually 5-7 minutes (I season the chicken with Montreal chicken seasoning).  Boil water for shrimp.  When water is boiling, add chopped shrimp and cook about 30 seconds.  Do not overcook the shrimp!  Drain shrimp into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.  After shrimp has cooled, drain and set shrimp and chicken aside. 

Melt butter in large skillet.  Blend in flour slowly; add broth and heat.  Stir constantly until thick and smooth.  Mix in seasonings, sour cream, and sherry; heat for about two minutes, stirring constantly.  Add chicken and shrimp, heat and stir another 2-3 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Lemon Mint Chicken

This year, I planted mint in my garden.  I didn't know it would grow so easily and so quickly!  I wanted to find some new dishes that used mint.  This sounded like an interesting recipe, so I made it my own.  It ended up being a very fresh, summer meal!

Lemon Mint Chicken

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup flour (I seasoned the flour with salt, pepper, and a little paprika and red pepper...it gave it a nice bite)
1/3 cup margarine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
Combine the chicken pieces, garlic, and onion.  Toss with flour and other seasonings.  Allow to sit 5 minutes.  Melt margarine in skillet over medium high heat.  Shake the excess flour from the chicken and add the chicken to the skillet.  Cook until golden brown (about 5-7 minutes).  Add the lemon juice and mint, reduce heat to medium, cover and steam about 5 minutes.  Do not overcook the chicken.  Serve over pasta or rice (I used a butter and herb pasta, it turned out to be really good!)

Foil-Pack Artichoke Chicken

This is a great recipe that I found online and adapted to make my own!  It is a great, easy main dish!

Foil-Pack Artichoke Chicken

1 1/2 c rice
1 1/2 c water
2 chicken breasts, trimmed
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 can diced Italian tomatoes, drained
1/4 c Italian dressing (I used Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian...delicious!)
1/8 c pesto
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix rice and water in bowl, spoon into center of foil rectangle.  Place 1 chicken breast on top of rice, top with half of the artichokes and tomatoes.  Mix dressing and pesto in small bowl, drizzle half over chicken.  Bring up the sides of the foil.  Double fold the top and sides to seal in moisture.  Be sure to leave enough room for air to circulate.  Repeat with second chicken breast.  Bake 35 minutes in baking dish, allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.  Serve with salad.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is a great dip to take to parties or tailgates!  You can lower the amount of buffalo wing sauce if you like things a little milder.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

3 chicken breasts, boiled or rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 cup ranch dressing
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup buffalo wing sauce (I always use Ken's)
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
Mix first four ingredients and 1/2 cup cheddar until blended.  Spread in ungreased baking dish, top with remaining cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips.