More favorite chicken recipes

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Source: Sweet Treats and More

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing (I like Cardini's and Brianna's Asiago Caesar)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (if you don't have fresh use around 2 teaspoons of dried parsley)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
12 slider buns or 4-6 regular sized hamburger buns

1. Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

2. Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Place chicken on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds, discarding any fat.

3. Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. I really make sure that I discard any fat pieces so by the time I was done I only used about 1/2 cup of dressing but you make need more if you have more chicken. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve.

Slow Cooker Creamy Tacos

2 pounds chicken breast pieces (mine were frozen solid)
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes (you can use garlic-seasoned, or plain in a pinch. I wouldn't do tomatoes with chiles if feeding kids)
1 (10-ounce) container PHILADELPHIA Cooking Creme--- Santa Fe flavor
taco shells or corn tortillas

optional fixins': sour cream, avocado slices
optional add-ins to stretch the meal to feed more people: 1 cup frozen corn, or 1 can corn, drained, 1 can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed  


The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker (if adding the optional add-ins, a 6-quart might be a better fit).

Put the chicken into your cooker. Add the entire can of tomatoes. Scrape out all the Cooking Creme (lick the container. It's GOOD!)
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until chicken shreds easily with a fork. Stir well and serve in taco shells or corn tortillas with your favorite toppings.  

South of the Border Sandwiches

Source: slightly adapted from The Sister's Cafe; original recipe from Lion House Entertaining

1 loaf French bread, cut into 3/4" thick slices

½ cup olives, chopped
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup lite mayonnaise
1/3 cup nonfat sour cream
1/3 cup green onions, chopped
1 pound sliced turkey
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 ripe avocados, sliced
¾ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
¾ cup pepper jack or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine olives, chili powder, cumin, and salt; set aside 2 Tablespoons of this mixture. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, and green onions to the remaining olive mixture.

Place bread on an ungreased baking sheet and spread 1 Tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture on each slice. Top with slices of turkey and tomatoes. Spread with another Tablespoon of mayonnaise mixture (I didn't add this because I didn't think it needed it). Top with avocados and cheeses. Sprinkle with the reserved 2 Tablespoons of olive mixture. Bake @ 350 for 15 min. Makes 8-10 servings.

Southwest 7up Crockpot Chicken

• 2-4 large chicken breast boneless skinless (depends on how much you want to make)
• 1 Taco seasoning packet (I made my own)
• 1 Jar of Salsa (about 2 cups)
• 1 Can of 7UP

Add all 4 ingredients to a crock pot. I started with the Chicken (I used it straight from the freezer) then put the Soda in , next the salsa and sprinkled the seasoning on top of it all.

Cook in a crock-pot for 3 hours on high.

Take chicken out, shred and return to crock-pot for another 2 hours on MEDIUM

• Wingless Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

o    2 large chicken breast halves

o    extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

o    2 teaspoons grill seasoning

o    1 pound pizza dough, store bought or homemade

o    2 tablespoons butter

o    1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

o    2 to 3 tablespoons wing sauce

o    1/2 cup tomato sauce

o    1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

o    1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles (just add more mozzarella instead)

o    3 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F. Preheat a grill pan.

Cut the chicken breasts open like a book to create 4 thinner pieces of chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the grill seasoning. When the grill is hot, add the chicken and cook until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Stretch the dough to form a pizza either using your hands or by rolling out with a rolling pin. Set the dough on a pizza pan, or if using a pizza stone, set your dough on a pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal or covered with a piece of parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the Worcestershire, hot sauce and tomato sauce.

When the chicken is done, remove to a cutting board and let rest for a few minutes. Thinly slice, then add to the hot sauce mixture and stir to coat the chicken. Cover the pizza dough with the chicken and sauce, then top with mozzarella, blue cheese and scallions.

Place the pizza in the preheated oven and cook until the dough has browned and the cheese is bubbly, about 18 minutes

Chicken recipes part 2

Crockpot chicken sour cream enchilada casserole

1tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
one 24 to 32 ounce can green chile enchilada sauce
1 dozen soft corn tortillas, each one cut into 4 strips
... 2 and one half to 3 cups cooked boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
2 cups sour cream
In a large skillet sauté the onions.
Pour about one half of the enchilada sauce into the slow cooker, tilt to spread it around. In layers add one-quarter of the tortilla strips, one-quarter of the remaining sauce, one-third of the sautéed onion, one-third of the chicken, and one quarter of the cheese. Repeat the layers two more times, ending with the cheese.
Spoon the sour cream over the surface of the casserole in big dollops. Use a spatula or the back of a large spoon to gently spread it all around without disturbing the layers. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 4 hours.

Crockpot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

4-6 Boneless Chicken Breasts (mine were still frozen!)

1 Bottle Archer Farms Hawaiian Style Barbecue Sauce (from Target)

1 20 oz. can Pineapple Chunks, drained

Spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray for an easy cleanup! Place frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with sauce. Empty can of drained pineapple chunks on top. Cook on High for 2-3 hours or Low for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken with two forks while still in the crock pot so the chicken will be well coated with sauce. Serve over rice

Grilled Chicken Bruschetta

3 medium vine ripe tomatoes

2 small cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tbsp extra virgin oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

3 oz part skim mozzarella, diced

1.25 lbs (8 thin sliced) chicken cutlets

Combine onion, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Set aside a few minutes.

Chop tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Combine with garlic, basil, onion-balsamic combo and additional salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and let it sit at least 10 minutes or as long as overnight. Toss in the cheese when ready to serve.

Season chicken with salt and fresh pepper. Grill the chicken cutlets on your indoor or outdoor grill, top with bruschetta and serve

Lime Chicken Tacos

3 chicken breasts
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 can corn
1 cup salsa
Tortillas

Place chicken in a crock pot. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken; shred and return to crock pot. Stir in corn and salsa. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve in tortillas with desired toppings. (I like it with sour cream, cheese, avacodo, and lettuce.)

Linguine with Creamy Chicken Primavera   

6 oz. uncooked linguine or fettuccine

1 lb. chicken breast strips for stir-frying

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup fresh baby carrots, quartered lengthwise

1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin bite-sized strips

1 (9-oz.) pkg. Green Giant® Frozen Sugar Snap Peas

1 (16-oz.) jar Alfredo pasta sauce

1/4 cup dry white wine or milk

 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 Cook linguine as directed on package. Drain; cover to keep warm.

 2 Meanwhile, spray 12-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned and no longer pink in center, stirring frequently.

 3 Add mushrooms, carrots, bell pepper, sugar snap peas and 1/2 cup water to skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Drain; return chicken and vegetables to skillet.

 4 Stir in Alfredo sauce, wine and basil. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Serve chicken mixture over linguine. If desired, sprinkle with shredded fresh Parmesan cheese.

Malibu Chicken Sandwiches

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup flour, seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder

1 cup breadcrumbs

2 eggs + 2 T. water, blended

8 slices thinly sliced ham

4 slices Swiss cheese (I used Monterey Cheese because that's what I had)

Lettuce

Mayonnaise

Honey Mustard

Pound 4 chicken breasts until 1/2 inch thick and cut into two pieces, this will make eight breasts for eight sandwiches. Beat eggs and water together in a shallow dish. Place breadcrumbs and flour in separate bowls. Dip the chicken in the flour, then the egg, and then the breadcrumbs. Place on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown and cooked through. Place 2 slices of ham and 1 slice of cheese on top of each chicken breast. Turn oven to broil and broil for 2-3 minutes to heat the ham and melt the cheese. Make sure to watch the whole time so it doesn't burn. Place one of the chicken breast/ham/cheese on a bun and garnish with lettuce, mayonnaise and honey mustard. Serve warm.

Mexi-Burritos

1 lb chicken, cooked & shredded (or diced)
1 can black beans
1 box Mexican Rice-a-Roni
1 can green enchilada sauce
Shredded Cheese
Tortillas

Directions:  Cook your chicken (or use a rotisserie chicken), heat up with the enchilada sauce.  Cook the rice, heat up the beans in the microwave, and pile everything on a warmed tortilla.  Wrap up to make burrito.  Smother with extra sauce (optional) and/or sour cream, tomatoes, etc.  Or, just eat it plain!  It's good and easy, either way.

A few yummy chicken recipes

Black Bean Chicken Tacos

This is a SUPER easy make-ahead meal. Layer in a crock pot in the following order:
1 can black beans, drained
3 chicken breasts
1 pkg taco seasoning (1-2 Tbsp)
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6- 8 hours. Before serving, add about 1/2 cup instant rice, let it sit 5 minutes. Shred chicken. Serve in tortillas topped with cheese and sour cream. Yum!

Chicken Broccoli Pie

• 3 TBLS Butter
• 3 TBLS Flour

Cook butter and flour together in sauce pan till bubbly. Add pepper. Then add:

• 1/4 Cup skim milk
• 1/2 Cup chicken broth
• 1 cup any flavor cheese
• 1-2 cups cooked chicken
• Lot's of broccoli!!!!

Mix all ingredients till cheese is melted and covers chicken and broccoli. Pour into pie crust. Top with pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees until crust is cooked (30-45 minutes)

Chicken taco chili

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cans rotel tomatoes
...
1 can tomato sauce

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can hominy or 1 can whole kernel corn

1 package taco seasoning

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 med onion, chopped

1 lb chicken breasts, boneless, skinless(2-3 pieces)

Put all ingredients, except chicken breast, into crock pot. Stir well. Place uncooked chicken breast on top. Cook on high for 8 hours, low for 10 hours. 30 minutes prior to serving, pull chicken out and shred. Return to crock pot and stir. Cook 30 more minutes.

Chicken Ziti Bake

1 lb Ziti
3 chicken breast, cooked, cubed
2 bell peppers, diced
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese
28 oz crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 c. half and half

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse in cold water. Combine cubed chicken with green peppers, cheese, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Add the chicken mixture to pasta. Place in a 9×13 baking dish and drizzle with half and half. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or untill cheese is melted and noodles are cooked.

Creamy chicken tacos

3-4 chicken breasts (not completely sure how much, got this recipe by word of mouth from my sis-in-law)
1 c. slasa
1 pkg cream cheese

Put chicken and salsa in crock pot on low for 3 hours. (I actually use tenderloins so you may have to go longer if you use full breasts. Just cook til it's done!) Shred chicken. Cut cream cheese into small chunks and add. Wait about a half hour and stir. Cream cheese should melt right in to make a creamy sauce. Serve on tortilla shells with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes... whatever you like. YUM YUM YUM!!! We always double it so we can have LOTS of left overs! 

Meal Plan & Pie Dough

Thanks to my sister-inlaw, Brook, I made this pie homemade pie dough. What I love is that it made FIVE. I'll freeze them, use two this week for chicken pot pie, and save the others.

On our menu this week is:

Grilled Chicken Bruschetta

Homemade Pizza

Chicken Pot Pie

Spaghetti and Rolls

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese with wrapped hotdogs (Father's day request!!)

Freezer Meal Tips

At the end of February my mom came to town, and what did I want to do with her? Make freezer meals. They weren't exactly whole meals, but things that make dinners SOOO much easier during the week. We made and froze grilled chicken pieces, diced peppers and onions, shredded cheese, taco meat, and spaghetti sauce.

Meal Preparation is so much easier and less time consuming! It's so nice to take out a bag of spaghetti sauce in the morning and throw together a lasagna. Whenever I need chicken for a stir fry or veggies for a pizza, they're ready to go!!

I spent around $80 to fill my freezer, and then just reduced the amount I spent on our weekly frocery trips to account for the freezer meals.

This monthly task is wonderful for us!

Andes Layered Frozen Mousse Pie

Andes Layered Frozen Mousse Pie:
(Recipe found on the back of the Andes baking chips)

Ingredients:
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
1 ready-to-use chocolate wafer crumb crust (6 oz. or 9-inch)
1-1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
2 cups Andes Crème de Menthe Chips
2 egg yolks

Directions:
Stir 1/2 cup of Andes Crème de Menthe chips into ice cream. Spread onto bottom of crust; freeze.

Melt remaining Andes chips with 1/2 cup whipping cream in saucepan over low heat stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in egg yolks. Continue heating over medium-low heat 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Do not allow to boil.


Whip remaining 1 cup whipping cream until stiff peaks form; fold into Crème de Menthe mixture. Spoon over ice cream in crust. Freeze 4 hours or overnight.


Note: Allow pie to stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.

This is a recipe I came across that I want to try when I have a bit more time.