Szechuan Chicken and Noodles

Szechuan Chicken and Noodles

(sixsistersstuff.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 3/4 cups Yoshida's Original Gourmet Sauce*
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 green bell peppers, diced (seeds and ribs removed)
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cups broccoli florets, steamed
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon paprika 
• 1 box (13.25 oz) whole wheat linguine noodles (you don't have to use whole wheat) 

Directions:

Cook the linguine noodles according to the directions on the package.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add the chicken and cook until chicken turns white and is no longer pink on the inside (takes about 8-10 minutes). Remove the chicken onto a plate.

In the same skillet, add olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute until soft (about 8 minutes). Once the vegetables are done, add the cooked chicken back to the skillet.

Add in the sauce, minced garlic and paprika. Stir well. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook for 5-8 more minutes, or until marinade is thoroughly heated and slightly thickened. Add in the cooked broccoli last.

When linguine is done cooking drain the water and then add noodles into the chicken/sauce mixture. Stir to combine and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

We all loved this.  I cooked the chicken in the slow cooker with the Yoshida's sauce to save time and then threw it in the pot at the end.  Really good!

Tomatillo Ranch Burritos from the Food Nanny!

Chicken Burritos With Salsa Verde and Lime
(from thefoodnannyblog.com)

BURRITOS:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and ground black pepper
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained
Santa Fe Lime Rice (recipe to follow)
6 burrito sizes flour tortillas
1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese or Monterey Jack

SAUCE:
1 cup bottled salsa verde
1 (0.4 oz) packet buttermilk dressing mix (ranch)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp coarse salt
1 TBLS fresh limejuice
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ cup sugar
Dash Tabasco (optional)

1. Prepare the rice and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, grill (or broil) the chicken breasts over medium heat, until tender and no longer pink. Shred the chicken with two forks and season with salt and pepper.
3. To make the sauce, put all the sauce ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Heat the sauce in a saucepan or the microwave.
4. Heat the black beans in a saucepan or the microwave
5. To assemble burritos: Divide the chicken among the tortillas. Add a scoop of rice and a scoop of beans to each one. Fold up the bottom third of one tortilla over the filling, fold in the sides, and then fold down the top. Repeat for the remaining tortilla’s
6. Preheat the broiler to low and adjust the oven rack to about 6 inches from the heat. Place the filled burritos seam side down in a broiler pan, or oblong metal pan, and pour the sauce over all. Sprinkle with cheese.
7. Place the pan under the broiler, watch closely and broil until the sauce is bubbly, just a few minutes.

Variations: As an alternative to broiling, bake the burritos, topped with sauce and cheese, in the oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly. Or simply serve the filled burritos on a platter and pass the heated sauce and the cheese in separate bowls.

Santa Fe Lime Rice

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth
¼ tsp salt
Juice of ½ lime
2 TBLS butter
2 TBLS chopped fresh cilantro
¼ tsp ground cumin

Combine the rice, broth, and slat in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to simmer and add the lime juice, butter, cilantro, and cumin. Stir, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender.

These are delectable!  I love how easy the dressing is to make, how it tastes just like the famous Cafe Rio Cilantro Creamy Dressing,  but uses bottled green sauce.  I like how it's on top of the burritos too, instead of just plain enchilada sauce.  

Ranch Chicken Enchiladas

Ranch Chicken Enchiladas

(from recipecritic.com)

3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 package chicken taco seasoning
1 package ranch dry salad dressing
1/2 cup bottled ranch
1/2 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can chicken broth
1 package tortillas

1.   Cook and shred the chicken.  I cooked mine in the slow cooker with the ranch packet and taco seasoning packages in the chicken broth.  The chicken just peeled apart.  I cooked it on low for about 3-4 hours.
2. Mix the 1/2 cup of ranch and 1/2 salsa in a bowl.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and spread a very thin layer of the mixture on the bottom.
3. Start assembling the enchiladas by putting 2 Tbs of the ranch and salsa mixture on the bottom of tortilla.  Then put the shredded chicken on top of that.  Sprinkle with cheese and roll it up.
4. Line up the enchiladas in the 9x13 pan and sprinkle heavily with the cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and enchiladas are heated through.
5. Drizzle the top with ranch and enjoy!

These are great!  Especially good for picky eaters.  Ranch tends to tone down spicy flavors.  I enjoyed these a lot.

Still in awe- all my kids devoured this!

Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice

(rachelschultz.com)

Serves 5-6

• 4 cups rice, prepared
• 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked (I put mine in the crock pot with Yoshida's Original Gourmet sauce, or any teriyaki sauce would do, if desired)
• 1 cup peas & carrots, frozen (or what you like - I added steamed broccoli)
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

Prepare rice according to package instructions to yield 4 cups cooked rice. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add onion, garlic, peas, and carrots.  Stir fry until tender. Crack eggs into pan and scramble, mixing throughout vegetables.  Add rice, chicken, and soy sauce to pan.Mix soy sauce throughout and remove from heat.  

It's true!  My kids all had seconds, and thirds.  Some liked adding the Yoshida's sauce on top of the fried rice (Russell and I did- added a lot of teriyaki flavor) but most liked the fried rice as is.  They even at the veggies.  I'm still in shock!  It is a great recipe, and I am replacing my old recipe I had on this blog with this one.

Awesome crock pot recipe!

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
(from therecipecritic.com)

1 T Vegetable Oil

6-7 Boneless Chicken Breast 

3/4 Cup honey

3/4 Cup soy sauce

3 T Ketchup

2 cloves garlic crushed (I used 1 1/2 T minced garlic)

1 T fresh ginger root (I used 1 T dry ginger)

1 20 ounce can pinapple drained with juice reserved (I didn't use the pineapple)

2 T cornstarch

1/4 c water

Mix together and pour over chicken.  Cook on low for about 4-6 or so hours.  Easy!

I've made this twice in the last month because our family liked this dinner so much.  So glad to have a bunch of great slow cooker recipes.

Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake

Creamy Swiss Cheese Chicken Bake

(from melskitchencafe.com)

*Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4-6 chicken pieces, excess moisture removed after thawing if frozen)
6-8 slices Swiss cheese (about 4-6 ounces)
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt 
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Hot, cooked rice for serving

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly spray a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season on each side with salt and pepper. Lay the chicken breast pieces in a single layer on the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Layer the Swiss cheese slices over the chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Spread this mixture over the chicken and cheese. Top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is hot and bubbly. Serve over hot, steamed rice.

Really good flavor, kid-friendly, easy...great to whip up quickly for dinner!  The sauce ends up tasting a little like alfredo sauce, which my kids love, so that was a bonus.

Red Curry Chicken- sooo good!

• 
  
• Red Curried Chicken
• (from allrecipes.com)
• 
  
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection® Red Curry Powder
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection® Garlic Salt
• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose apple (Golden Delicious), cut in cubes
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection® Garam Masala
• 1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk

Directions

1. In large self-closing plastic bag, combine flour, red curry powder and garlic salt. Add chicken; shake to coat.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add chicken cubes; saute until well browned. Reduce heat. Add apple and onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in brown sugar, garam masala and coconut milk.
3. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice with condiments such as: chopped pistachios or peanuts, golden raisins, sliced green onions, flaked coconut, and mango chutney.
4. Substitution: May substitute 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice for 1 teaspoon garam masala.

I haven't tried red curry powder before, and I was worried it would be a lot more spicy than yellow curry.  Well, it was a little different in flavor, but it was amazing!  Our kids even ate this dish.  Very flavorful and exotic.  We'll add this to our Indian food rotation, definitely.

Chicken Parma Rosa- sauce mix, easy, good!

Chicken Parma Rosa

this is what it looks like at the store-
I never knew about it until a while ago

• 1 pkg Knorr Parma Rosa Sauce Mix
• 8 oz. penne (or other pasta desired)
• cooked chicken
• parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta.  Make sauce from Parma Rosa package (I think only a little butter and milk are used).
2.  Add chicken to sauce, pour over pasta, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and eat.


Such a fast meal!  I think the sauce is great, especially since it is from a package.  I was impressed.  Kids loved it (besides one), easy to make, tasty. It is a parmesan sauce with a hint of tomato, very subtle.  

Coconut Chicken- kid friendly and easy

Coconut Chicken with Apricot Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

• 1 egg
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl; set aside.  Mix the coconut, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.  Working with one chicken breast at a time, dip the chicken in the bowl with the beaten egg and then coat with the coconut mixture.  Place on the baking sheet.  Once all chicken breasts are coated and on the baking sheet, evenly drizzle with the melted butter.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping once halfway.

To prepare the apricot sauce, mix the apricot preserves and the Dijon mustard in a small bowl.  Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Freezer Friendly:  After baking the chicken, let cool completely then freeze in a freezer bag for up to 1 month.  To reheat, bake in a preheated oven at 400˚F for 20 minutes.

Source:  Jamie MacDonald, friend of Pennies on a Platter

This was  a good dish!  The chicken didn't end up too sweet, even with the coconut.  It was fun to dip in the sauce, though my kids ate the chicken plain.  Fun.

Comforting food- Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble
(from favfamilyrecipes.com)

• 1 1/2 Lbs chicken (to save time I used my pre-cooked shredded chicken)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 c. celery, chopped fine
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1 c. milk
• 3/4 c. frozen peas

Crumble Topping:
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
6 Tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. heavy cream (I used half & half)
FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat (If you don't have a dutch oven, just use a stock pot). Cook until chicken is just done (8 to 12 minutes). Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven.

FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet (I just spooned it onto the baking sheet, cooked it, and crumbled it onto the chicken in the baking dish- easier!). Bake at 450-degrees until fragrant and starting to brown (10-13 minutes). Set aside.

FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 5 minutes). While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce.

Pour mixture into 9x13 pan (or if you have small individual-sized oven-safe dishes, you can use those-- see picture above). Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking at 400-degrees sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned (about 12-15 minutes). Serve hot and enjoy!


This was a little complicated to make- it took a couple readings of the recipe to get what I'd be doing when, but next time will be even faster.  The recipe is so good, and it tastes clean, you know?  No canned stuff.  No cream of chicken stuff...FRESH.  And simple flavors.  But good.  The biscuit topping adds a lot too, and there is plenty of that on top!  

My new Chicken Corn Chowder recipe

Chicken Corn Chowder

(adapted from pickypalate.com)

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, color of choice, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed (optional)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced or chopped ham or Canadian bacon
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 14 oz cans chicken broth or 3 1/2 cups water and 3 bullion cubes
• 3 T. flour
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I skipped and didn't need it!)

1.  Place olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute celery, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until softened. 
2. Stir in garlic and ham; cook for another 3 minutes. 
3. Whisk the broth with the flour in a large bowl then stir into soup. Stir in corn and chicken. 
4. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat. 
5. Add cream cheese and let it melt in, then add milk along with the salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Simmer until ready to serve.

I liked this recipe better than the other corn chowder recipe I had on my blog so I replaced it with this one.  It is a great soup, and we enjoyed it a lot.  

Two great Chicken Cordon Bleu recipes

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
from melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 6

For the Cordon Bleu:

• 3 large chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise (to form two thinner chicken breast cutlets)
• 12 slices deli ham
• 1 cup bread crumbs (I used Special K crushed flakes--tasted good to me!)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 to 1/2 pound thinly sliced swiss cheese

For the Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (or 1 bouillon cube, crushed)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Set aside.

Lay the cut chicken breasts in a single layer in the 9X13-inch dish. Layer each chicken breast with two slices of ham and top with 2 slices of swiss cheese, shingling across the chicken breast to make sure the entire chicken breast is covered with ham and cheese. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the chicken.

Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely, the cheese is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden.

While the chicken bakes, in a medium saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly, while cooking the flour/butter mixture for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking quickly. Stir in the chicken bouillon granules and salt. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep the sauce warm until the chicken is finished baking.

Serve each chicken cordon bleu portion with warm sauce.

This was so easy and delicious!  Way better than the recipes using cream of chicken soup as the sauce, and not as hard as the list of ingredients and long instructions would lead to you to believe!  I enjoyed the simple prep for the chicken, ham and cheese and not having to roll it up like normal cordon bleu.  The sauce has such a great flavor and it's yummy on it's own.  My kids all ate it, and thought it was good.  Try this!  

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls

from melskitchencafe.com

*Note: if you don't have apple juice on hand, you can omit the apple juice and increase the chicken broth to 1 3/4 cups.

*Serves 4-6

For the Chicken and Sauce:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed (about 2-3 chicken breasts) ((to save time I used ready-cooked chicken and just added it to the sauteed garlic and onions))
• 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ cup apple juice
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2-3 cups broccoli florets
• Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

To Assemble:

4-6 medium round regular or sourdough bread bowls or big rolls

8-10 thin slices smoked ham

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat the foil with cooking spray.

Place the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tight fitting microwave-safe lid. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until tender but still bright green. Remove the plastic wrap and set aside.

In a 10- or 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until the chicken begins to brown but isn't cooked all the way through, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened (when chicken is still slightly pink), about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken/onion mixture and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring, constantly for one minute.

Gradually add the chicken broth and apple juice, stirring constantly to avoid any clumps from forming. Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, mustard and thyme. Simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in the broccoli; season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Hollow out the inside of the bread bowls by cutting off the tops and tearing out the insides. I like to leave about a 1/4-inch edge along all sides of the bread bowl. Compress the remaining bread together to firm up the sides and make room for the filling. Place the bread bowls on the prepared baking sheet and toast them for about 5 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove the toasted loaves from the oven and arrange the ham slices in the bottom of each loaf. Using a slotted spoon, divide chicken mixture evenly between loaves, reserving about 1-2 cups sauce in the pan for serving. Top the chicken mixture in each loaf with shredded Swiss and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Bake the bread bowls until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes. Serve each bread bowl with reserved cream sauce.

An easy and delicious oven-baked chicken dish

Anniversary Chicken
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup teriyaki basting sauce (if you just have teriyaki sauce, just marinate chicken for half an hour or so, or thicken with corn starch)
• 1/2 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 (3 ounce) can bacon bits
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush with teriyaki sauce on both sides of the chicken breasts, then spoon on salad dressing. 
3. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Sprinkle with cheese, green onions and bacon bits the last 10 minutes of baking. Remove pan, garnish with parsley and serve.

This chicken has such great flavor!  Seems kind of odd to combine teriyaki and ranch flavors but  it works really well.  A keeper.  Great for serving to guests as well- any chicken with bacon on it is sure to impress, right?