Creamy Potato Soup

This is one of my favorite soups. I got the recipe from the Food Nanny, but altered it to be a bit lower fat. It's so yummy!

1 lb chicken breast

4 C chicken broth

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

5 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chucks 

1/4 C flour

2 C evaporated fat-free milk

3/4 C frozen peas

Salt and ground black pepper

1. Put chicken and broth in large pot and bring to boil. Decrease heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is tender, about 20 min. Remove the chicken to cool.

2. Add the onion, carrots, and potatoes to the simmering broth. Cover and return to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 10 min until veggies are tender.

3. Meanwhile, tear chicken into bite-size pieces.

4. In a small bowl, whisk flour and a part of evaporated milk together until smooth.

5. Add the flour and milk mixture, and the chicken pieces to the soup pot. Stir and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once soup thickens a bit decrease heat to simmer, add the peas, salt and pepper to taste, and cook just until peas are heated through. Serve immediately or keep warm but do not boil.

Serve with bread sticks, hot rolls, or crusty bread. Makes about 12 cups

Easy Tostadas

1 large chicken breast (shredded)
1 C. salsa
1 can beans (pinto or black)
Lettuce, shredded
Cilantro, shredded
1 tomato, chopped
Corn tortillas or Tostada shells
Cheese
Sour cream

Cook chicken and salsa together in a Crockpot for several hours. When cooked shred chicken. Next toast corn tortillas in the toaster or oven or use tostada shells; spoon on chicken/salsa mixture. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese. Serve with additional salsa and sour cream.

Easy Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

1 package (12 oz) Bow Tie noodles, uncooked
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup of milk
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, cubed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. In large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt; cook 2 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Add milk and heat just to boiling; stir in cream cheese and basil. Reduce heat, stirring constantly until cream cheese is completely melted and chicken is thoroughly cooked. Removed from heat, stir in Parmesan cheese. Toss hot pasta and sauce; serve immediately.

Makes 6-8 servings
NOTE: I would double the milk and cream cheese to make more sauce. We like lots of sauce with our noodles. Really enjoyed this recipe and got it off the back of the noodles package.

Pineapple Chicken

Garlic salt
3-5 pounds of chicken pieces
Cornstarch
Beaten egg

Sprinkle garlic salt on chicken pieces. Dip in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in oil until browned. Place chicken in a casserole dish, pour the sauce over the chicken, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Sauce
½ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup crushed pineapple
½ teaspoon salt

Mix and bring ingredients to a boil
Add rice or noodles with a veggie to complete the meal.

Note: I would suggest making more sauce... every time I forget to make more sauce and the sauce is really good to poor over the chicken again when it is over rice or noodles. Another note... when browning the chicken is does not have to cooked all the way through. If you do that then when it cooks in the oven you will dry out the chicken slightly. Enjoy!

Parmesan Chicken

Parmesan Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, minced
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup or 1/4 pound), melted
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or 2/3 cup if you are using a Microplane zester)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
A large pinch of Italian seasoning (herb mix)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 lbs of skinless, boneless, chicken meat, cut into pieces no larger than 2x2 inches
Method






1 Preheat oven to 450°F.

2 In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the melted butter. In another bowl mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into garlic butter, then into crumb mixture to coat.

3 Place coated chicken pieces on to a 9x13 baking dish. Try to leave a little room between each piece. Drizzle with remaining garlic butter and bake uncovered 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Note that the chicken will get much more browned on the bottom side than on the top.

Serves 4-6.

NOTE: I accidentally used Pork with this (not thinking) and it took longer to cook but it was still really good.

Tamale Pie Casserole

1 can creamed corn

1 12-16 oz. slightly thawed frozen corn

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 cup salsa

1 small can tomato sauce

1-2 chopped onions

1/2 tsp. salt

12-15 corn tortillas

1 rotisserie chicken (or you can use beef)

Cheddar and Monterrey cheese ( goes on top... so put as much as you like)

1 big tomato

Directions:

Saute onions and chicken until nice and juicy. Add corns, spices, salsa, tomato sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes. take a greased 9x13 pan and put 1/3 of sauce on bottom. Then layer a few tortillas on top. pour 1/2 of the rest of the sauce on top of that. Again, layer a few tortillas until well covered, then layer the last bit of the sauce on top. Take the big tomato... cut in slices and place on top like pepperonis... Sprinkle cheese on top. Cover with foil. Cook for 30-35 minutes. Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips.

Crockpot Applesauce Chicken

My husband found this website: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com, "A Year of Slow Cook: Crockpot". It is excellent. I am trying out recipes he is selecting and amazed at the tasteness and quality of the recipes. Here is one we tried tonight and really liked!



Ingredients:
--4 frozen chicken breast halves or thighs (I used 2 of each)
--1 1/2 cups of applesauce
--1 T dried onion flakes, or 1 yellow onion, chopped finely
--1 T apple cider vinegar
--1/4 tsp cinnamon
--1/2 tsp black pepper
--2 cloves garlic, minced
--1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, I used them, and added more to the adult servings)

The Directions.

A 3 or 4 quart crockpot is the best size for this, but I did use a 6 quart. If your pot cooks fast, err on the lower end of cooking time.

Put the frozen chicken pieces into your crockpot. Add the onion (if you are using the dried onion, wait and add it to the applesauce). In a bowl, mix the applesauce, vinegar, garlic, and spices together. Pour on top of the chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4.

Saucy Mexican Chicken

We tried this recipe tonight and we absolutely LOVED IT! I have found using Kraft Foods recipes (from their magazine) has been a "hit and miss" with finding tastey foods. This one was easy, fast and good. :)

What You Need!
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 small breasts)
1 jar (16 oz.) Chunky Salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Make It!

COOK chicken in nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 4 min. on each side or until browned on both sides.

ADD salsa and beans. Bring to boil; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 5 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF).

TOP with cheese. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Substitute
Prepare using 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

I love this casserole- it takes a little more time than I usually spend on dinner, but it's worth it. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Casserole:
1/2 C. onion, chopped
1/2 C. celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/4 C. butter
1/2 C. flour
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 C. chicken broth
1 package frozen green peas
3 C. chicken, cooked & cubed

Dumplings:
2 C. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 C. shortening
2/3 C. milk

(If you don't feel like making your dumplings from scratch, you could substitute 2 C. bisquick baking mix, 1 tsp. basil, and 2/3 C. milk instead)

In large saucepan, sauté onion, celery, and garlic in butter until tender. Add flour, sugar, salt, basil, pepper, and broth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute until desired thickness; reduce heat. Add peas and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken. Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish.

For dumplings, combine dry ingredients; cut in shortening; stir in milk all at once until dough just follows. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto casserole (to make 12 dumplings). Bake uncovered at 350° for 30 minutes. Check on dumplings- lift up one in the middle of the pan and see if it's still doughy on bottom. If needed, cover and bake 10-15 more minutes until dumplings are done.

Parmesan- Dijon Chicken

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3/4 cup Progresso® dry bread crumbs (any flavor)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 3/4 pounds)

1. Heat oven to 375ºF. Mix butter and mustard in shallow dish until well mixed. Mix bread crumbs and cheese in large plastic bag.
2. Dip one piece of chicken at a time into butter mixture, coating all sides. Then place in bag of bread crumbs, seal bag and shake to coat with crumb mixture. Place chicken in single layer in ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches.
3. Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

Prep time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30 min
5 servings

Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, and Mushroom Casserole

(picture from For the Love of Cooking)

There is nothing especially adventurous or amazing about my take on this dish from For the Love of Cooking; it is welcome-home comfort food, and it was gobbled up promptly and enjoyed by everyone. The water chestnuts add a delicious, subtle crunch to an otherwise soft and creamy dish. This is a good way to get some more veggies into my kids. This recipe makes a lot: a full-to-the-brim 13 x 9" casserole dish. I chose to make the full amount, and freeze some of it in another dish for later. I froze about 1/4 of it, and still fed 4 adults and 3 kids with the part I cooked (everyone went for seconds--that always warms my heart). :)

1 T. olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1 lb. mushrooms, quartered

1-2 stalks celery, diced

2 c. uncooked rice (about 6 cups cooked)

2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed

1 6-8 oz. can of sliced water chestnuts, diced.

1-2 c. broccoli florets

1 10 oz. can of Cream of Chicken soup

1 10 oz. can Cream of Celery soup

1 10 oz. can Cream of Mushroom soup* (these soups could easily be changed for what you have)

1/4 c. light mayonnaise

1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated (opt.)

salt and pepper to taste

bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare rice per instructions, adding chicken bouillon and parsley to water for flavor. In a heated pan add 1/2 tbsp oil and cook mushrooms until golden brown - remove from pan. Add the other 1/2 tbsp of oil to the pan and cook onions and celery until soft. Steam broccoli until just fork tender, then cool. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.

Put into a baking dish, top with bread crumbs, and heat uncovered for 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes prior to serving. I served this with a green salad, jello, and rolls. Enjoy!

Makes approx. 10-12 servings

Chicken and Orzo with Mushroom, Peas, and Parmesan

Orzo is new to me: it's a type of pasta that has a rice shape to it. It's very light, delicate, and yummy! It can be found in the pasta section of the store. This dish has no sauce, but with the parmesan cheese it's got a slight creamy quality that tastes a little like alfredo, but without all the fat and calories. I opted to serve chicken with this dish, but you can leave out the chicken for a vegetarian option.

3 small chicken breasts, sliced

1 T. olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced (opt.)

salt and pepper

1 lb. box of Orzo pasta

chicken bouillon granules or salt

6-8 mushrooms, sliced

1/2 small onion, minced

1 c. frozen peas, thawed

1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated

2 T. chopped fresh parsley (I used 1/2 T. dried)

Cook Orzo according to directions, but add your chicken bouillon and/or a good amount of salt to your water to give the orzo flavor. While you're waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, warm garlic and oil in a pan over med-high heat. Add in chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned and juices run clear. Remove from pan and set aside (my above-the-stove microwave is a perfect place to put it and keep it warm).

Add more olive oil into pan if needed, and sauté the mushrooms and onions, seasoning with salt, till golden brown. When they are almost done, add in your thawed peas to warm them, just for a minute or so.

Whenever your orzo finishes cooking (after about 10 min.), drain it and put it back into the pot or into your serving bowl. Add in the Parmesan cheese while the orzo is hot, stirring well so it will melt. Add in your mushrooms, onions, and peas, salt and pepper as needed. Mix thoroughly.

After serving up the orzo, I placed a few chicken slices on top, then garnished with Parmesan cheese, and served with a green salad. Enjoy!

Makes 4-5 adult-sized servings.

Below is a picture of the minced garlic that I love, and pasta box--the lid is up, so it looks bigger than it really is. You buy the garlic already minced, and store it in the fridge. It lasts a LONG time, and while not as fresh as the real stuff, is really easy to use and perfectly adequate in cooked dishes.

Chicken Divan

I LOVE this meal! It was a family favorite growing up and now my husband and kids love it too. I frequently make it when I take dinners to people and often get requests for the recipe. Maybe it will become apart of your family's favorites too!

1 bunch fresh cooked broccoli
3 cups cooked de-bonded chicken pieces (I boil 3-4 defrosted Costco chicken breasts for 1 hour then break apart)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise (Best Foods)
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup buttered bread crumbs (optional)

Cook broccoli, drain, and arrange in 9x13 baking dish. Lay chicken pieces on top of broccoli. Combine cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder and pour over broccoli and chicken. Top with cheese and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Slow Cook Burritos

These are so easy and yummy!
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup salsa
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. cumin
2 Tbs. chopped chilies (or green peppers diced)
2 chicken breasts
Tortillas

Layer chicken, salsa, and beans. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 6 hrs (or high for if you don't have that much time). Shred chicken before serving and stuff tortillas with mixture. You can even add some cut tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and avocado.

Chicken Queso Dip (slow cooker)

This is a crowd-pleaser! I've served this more times than I can count for parties, showers, dinner, etc. Serve with corn chips. When done in a slow-cooker, allow at least 3-4 hours to complete if meat is thawed.

Combine the following in your slow cooker:

2-3 chicken breasts

1 sm. can green chilis

1 lrg. can red enchilada sauce

Cook on low until chicken is cooked through and is easy to shred--2-6 hours, depending on if meat is thawed or frozen and on your slow cooker. Shred the chicken (as fine as you have patience for).

Add to slow cooker:

1 block cream cheese

1 (8-10 oz) bag of Cheddar Cheese

1/2 red pepper, diced small

1/2 green pepper, diced small

Stir in and mix well. Cook for 1 more hour or so on lowest heat setting, stirring occasionally. Stir and serve warm! I serve it right from the crockpot. Makes 6+ servings. I double the recipe for parties.

Garlic Chicken

2 t. crushed garlic
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Warm garlic and olive oil to blend the flavors. In separate dish, combine bread crumbs and parmesan. Dip chicken in oil mixture and then bread crumbs. Place in shallow baking dish. Bake at 425 for 30-35 minutes. This is so fast and easy and I always have the ingredients on hand. I like red mashed potatoes and veggies with this meal.

Sticky Chicken/Sweet and Sour Chicken

3 lb chicken strips
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
egg
corn starch
oil for frying

Sauce:
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c ketchup
2 T soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1 c vinegar

1. Combine chicken and garlic and let sit 1 hour.
2. Dip chicken in egg and roll in corn starch.
3. Brown in small amount of hot oil and place in 9x13 pan.
4. Mix together sauce ingredients and pour over chicken.
5. Bake at 325 for 1 hour, stir occasionally.
6. Serve over rice with stir fry veggies (can buy frozen).

Oven Fried Chicken

Oven Fried Chicken

1/4 c butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp paprika
2 lbs chicken legs

1. Dip chicken in butter and coat in remaining ingredients.
2. Lay chicken skin side down on pan and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes
3. Flip chicken over and bake 25 minutes more.

I love this meal! I like to serve this with grapes, deviled eggs, pork-n-beans, and mashed potatoes/biscuits.

Chicken and Black Beans Taquitos

I made these for dinner tonight. Yum! This recipe is from a friend of mine, who has it posted on her blog, www.just-because-i-am-me.blogspot.com, along with some other fantastic recipes. From Shaina:

"This recipe is from a Taste of Homes Cooking Light recipe book. My kids love it. While you are at it, make a double batch and freeze the rest. I love preparing once, and using again and again.

Chicken and Black Bean Taquitos

1 ½ tsp olive oil
1 pound ground chicken (or 1-2 cups of cooked chicken, diced)
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small can of diced green chiles
1 Tbsp cumin and chili powder
10-20 flour tortillas (depends on how much filling you use for each taquito)
Cooking spray

Heat oil, brown chicken. Place chicken, cheese, beans, green chiles and seasonings in food processor and pulse until beans are coarsely chopped.
Spoon about 3 tbsp of mixture in a skinny line across lower third of each tortilla and roll up nice and snug. Slice in half, secure with toothpicks if needed, and flash freeze on a cookie sheet until frozen. Then, remove from freezer, place in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

To bake them, line the taquitos on baking sheet, spray with cooking spray, and Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until golden. We like to serve these with a side of spanish rice. Also, Tostitos has a jar of Monterey Jack Cheese Sauce that makes a perfect dipping sauce for these taquitos."

Chicken Flautas

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 yellow/white onion
2 garlic cloves
1 T. vegetable oil
3 1/2 oz. monterey jack, shredded
12 corn tortillas
salt and pepper
1-2 T. vegetable oil

Cook chicken, shred. Set aside. Chop onion finely and crush garlic. Heat oil in frying pan, add onion and garlic. Saute over low heat 5 minutes. or until onion has softened. Add chicken; salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Remove from heat, cool a few minutes. Soften tortillas by heating 30 seconds in microwave. Place spoonful of filling and spoonful of cheese in tortilla. Roll tightly and place on lightly greased cookie sheet with lip. (jelly-roll pan) With pastry brush, brush a light coat of oil over all of rolled tortillas. Bake at 300 degrees for about 25 minutes. (Ok, I've never actually timed it. Just keep an eye on them until they are crisp and golden.) Serve with guacamole, sour cream and salsa.