Creamy Southwest Chicken Alfredo

This one has become a family favorite!

Creamy Southwest Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:

·         3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

·         1 Tbsp taco seasoning

·         1 Tbsp olive oil

·         1 Tbsp butter

·         1 cup heavy cream

·         ½ cup shredded Mexican cheese

·         1 can mild Rotel (reserve 2 Tbsp for garnish)

·         8 oz Penne Pasta cooked

·         2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (garnish)

Directions:

Pat chicken dry with paper towel.  Sprinkle with the taco seasoning on all sides.  Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat.  Add the seasoned chicken and cook until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add butter to the pan chicken was cooked in.  Melt over medium heat.  Slowly add cream, whisking continually for about 2 min to incorporate all the seasoning and browned bits left behind from cooking  chicken. Add cheese and Rotel and continue to stir until thickened and cheese is melted.  

Stir in cooked pasta.  Remove from heat and top with chicken sliced into strips.  Top with cilantro and reserved Rotel.

Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies

I have been finally trying new recipes and found a couple of really tasty meals. 
So easy and DELICIOUS!

Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies 

Ingredients:

·         4-6 chicken breasts
·         16 oz baby red potatoes, halved
·         16 oz baby carrots
·         16 oz green beans
·         2 Tbsp parsley
·         ½ cup soy sauce
·         ½ cup honey
·         ¼ cup ketchup
·         2 cloves minced garlic
·         1 tsp dried basil
·         ½ tsp dried oregano
·         ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
·         ¼ tsp black pepper

Directions:

Combine soy sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and pepper.  Place chicken, potatoes, and carrots in slow cooker.  Cover with sauce mixture.  Cook on low  heat for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  Add green beans last 30 min of cooking. Garnish with parsley.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This has got to be one of the easiest recipes I've ever made! At first, we wondered if it was going to be very good because it seemed really liquid-y. But after you add in the tortillas and cheese, it thickens up quite a bit. It really tastes just like chicken enchiladas. Delicious!!

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
2 (10 oz) cans of red enchilada sauce
10 corn tortillas
2-3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (divided)
1 (3.8 oz) can olives, sliced (divided)

Directions:
Add chicken and enchilada sauce to slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours.
Shred chicken using forks. (I shredded them right in the slow cooker - easy!)
Slice tortillas into strips - a pizza cutter works great - and add to chicken and sauce. Stir.
Add 1 cup cheese, half the olives, and stir again.
Top with remaining cheese and olives. Continue to cook 30-60 minutes longer or until cheese is all melted and bubbly.

Serve with lettuce, sour cream, or any other toppings you would like. Enjoy!

                  

These pictures do not do it justice at all. It looks like a sloppy mess but tastes amazing! We only have 2 kids left at home now, so we had tons of leftovers. I just pulled the dish out of the cooker and stuck it in the refrigerator. Then, a couple days later I popped it back in and heated it up. I thought the tortillas would be all soggy and gross but it was almost better the second time. We will definitely be making this again!

Mexican Street Tacos

Have you ever eaten Mexican Street Tacos? I never had until recently. I always made tacos with ground beef and taco seasoning on flour tortillas, Fritos, or those crunchy, hard shells that always break apart when you take a bite. You know what I'm talking about, right? Ugh!

So when my son and daughter-in-law came home for a visit, they told us we were making street tacos & that we would never want to go back to regular tacos again. Seriously. He was right. We don't. 

In fact, we have made these 3 times since then and they are sooooo good!! The chicken is cooked in a crock pot & practically shreds itself it's so tender. I am also IN LOVE with the white corn tortillas! They have such a great flavor. Mmmmm! You also don't need all the toppings that you would normally put on tacos. Authentic street tacos only have cilantro and onions. That's it. (I only put pico de gallo or guacamole on mine because to me, those go on everything! Plus, I'm not a fan of raw onions.)

Even if you don't want to make tacos, this meat is easy & delicious. It could be used with almost anything. 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

White corn tortillas

Cilantro

Diced onions

Directions:

Put chopped onions in bottom of crock pot, then add the chicken and garlic. Mix all spices together and sprinkle over chicken. Cook on low for about 6 hours until fully cooked. Shred the chicken with 2 forks and let sit another hour or so. 

Heat tortillas on skillet (flipping so both sides are nice and toasty) then fill with chicken, onions and cilantro. (Or other toppings.) ;)

Enjoy!! 

This was mine with just the pico on top. ;)

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

We have been craving nachos lately and usually we just do our own individual plates where we toss on some cheese and throw it in the microwave. But we have really been wanting to make a big ol' pan in the oven all piled high and layered with yummy things. We finally made these buffalo chicken nachos and they were super good! In fact, the first pan was gone before I remembered to take a picture, so I had to take one of the second batch, which didn't cook as nicely. (Of course that would happen.) 

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2 cup buffalo sauce (We found a recipe online and made our own, using Frank's Red Hot Sauce.)

Pepper Jack cheese, shredded or sliced

Jalapenos, sliced (We used the deli-sliced kind from the jar.)

Tortilla chips 

Directions:

Line baking pan with foil.

Lightly coat chicken with the buffalo sauce. Spread tortilla chips on pan, sprinkle on cheese, add chicken & cover with more cheese. Top with the jalapeno slices.

Broil in oven until cheese is melted. Watch closely so it doesn't burn. (Our second batch got a little crispy.)

Enjoy!

For a yummy variation try Nacho Cheese Doritos, tortilla chips with a hint of lime, or even Fritos!

Oven Baked Chimichangas

Oven Baked Chimichangas

 

Ingredients

Makes 6 chimis

*This recipe makes use of already cooked chicken and cooked rice so plan ahead!

1/4 cup vegetable oi

1 onion chopped

1 can black beans rinsed and drained

1/2 cup cooked rice

2-3 cups diced cooked chicken

1-2 teaspoons minced cannd chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1 cup shredded cheese

salt and pepper

6 large burrito size tortillas

Directions:

Place baking sheet in the oven and heat to 450* While oven is heating, in a large skillet heat 2 Tbsp oil.  Cook onion until tender.  Stir in beans, rice, chicken and chipotle and cook until heated through, about 3 min.  Remove from heat stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Covering tortillas with a damp paper towel, microwave tortillas about 1 minute.  Top each warm tortilla with some of the chicken mixture, leaving about a 2 inch boarder at the bottom of the tortilla. Fold in the sides and roll up the tortilla tightly.  Brush the wrapped tortillas with the remaining oil and arrange them seam down on the hot baking sheet.  Bake until the chimis are golden brown and crisp, about 8-10 min.

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

I have had this recipe for awhile now, & kept planning on making it but I never got around to it, or it didn't sound good that day - whatever. Well I finally made it tonight and it was sooo good!! I can't believe it took me that long to make it! This was the only picture I got of it before it was GONE. Seriously. 

This recipe makes two 8x8 pans or one 9x13 pan. Since I have a small family I made the two 8x8 pans and froze one for another night! Bonus! 

Ingredients:

5 cups cooked rice

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cups broccoli, chopped (I thought this could use a lot more broccoli, so I would do at least 3 cups. I also just threw mine in uncooked, but if you are using frozen broccoli you might want to lightly steam it first.)

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (And some extra to sprinkle on the top.)

salt and pepper, to taste (optional)

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well.

Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Enjoy!

Monterey Chicken

This was a throw together last minute meal.  It turned out so good!  My husband said this was one of his favorite meals.  So yummy!!

Ingredients:

2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs Weber's Kick'n Chicken seasoning
4-6 chicken breasts
1/4 c bbq sauce
1/4 c crumbled up cooked bacon
1 c Colby Jack cheese shredded
1 can 14 oz Rotel
2 sliced green onions

Directions:

Marinate chicken for 30-40 min in soy sauce and chicken seasoning.
Preheat oven to *400
Grill chicken 6-7 min each side or until done
Place chicken in a baking dish covered with foil

Top each chicken breast with 1Tbs bbq sauce, 1/4 c cheese, 1/4 c Rotel, green onions and 1 Tbs bacon. 

Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted.

Loaded Baked Potato & Chicken Casserole

Loaded Baked Potato & Chicken Casserole....this is seriously so good!!  It takes a while to cook, but is soooo worth it!! I will definitely be making this a regular!! 

Ingredients:

4-5 medium potatoes scrubbed and diced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
8 slices cooked bacon, cooled and crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 green onions, sliced (green parts only)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp butter cut into small pieces


Directions:

Heat oven to 350*.  Lightly grease an 9x13 baking dish.

Spread half of the diced potatoes in bottom of pan.  Place the diced chicken breasts evenly on top.  Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with half the bacon crumbles, 1/2 cup of the cheese and half the green onions.

Spread the remaining diced potatoes on top, followed by the remaining bacon, another 1/2 cup cheese, remaining green onions and another 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Pour heavy cream over top of casserole and the dot with the butter.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.  Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes.  In the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and bake until melted.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Another great recipe from bunco!  This time from my friend Calleen.  This was seriously so good!!  And I promise....not that hard. 

Ingredients:

4-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 thin slices of ham
8 thin slices of cheese (Swiss, Provolone, or Mozzarella)
1 cup flour
2 beaten eggs
2 Tbsp olive oil

  Seasoning:
1 pkg original shake-n-bake
1 pkg blue cheese dressing mix
   Sauce:
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
*you can also add the left-over seasoning mix to the sauce.

Directions:

Flatten chicken by pounding between two pieces of plastic wrap.  (my chicken was really thick so I sliced them in half which gave me 8 pieces)  On each breast lay a slice of ham and a slice of cheese.  Roll up and secure with toothpicks.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or more.

Roll chicken in a bowl with 1 cup flour.  Dip chicken in a bowl with 2 beaten eggs and then in the seasoning mixture.  Brown in a hot frying pan with olive oil for 2-3 minutes on each side.  Place in baking dish.


Pour sauce over chicken, cover with tin foil and bake at 350* for 40 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.

                                                           Or
Cook chicken and sauce separately.  By baking chicken at 350* for 30-40 minutes or until done, and cook sauce in small pot and serve on top of chicken.   

Cheez-it chicken

This was surprisingly good and sooo easy!  I found the recipe on Pinterest  a while ago and finally got around to trying it out.  My kids all said it was good and even thanked me!!  My husband liked it and said it tasted like fried chicken, but it's healthy because it is baked!

Ingredients:

1 pkg boneless skinless chicken tenders
3 cups Cheez-its
1/4 cup melted butter
8 oz sour cream

Directions:

Place Cheez-its in zip lock bag and crush with rolling pin.
Roll chicken in sour cream and then in Cheez-its.  
Place in baking dish and drizzle with melted butter.
Bake at 375* for 40 minutes.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

I have made these in the past, but didn't have the sauce and they were....okay.  But I recently made them again - this time with the sauce and they were DELICIOUS!!  The sauce really added a little something. 

I don't even like ranch, which is probably why I was nervous to try the sauce.  All the flavors really come together - my kids really liked it too.  We had sooo much sauce left over!  You might want to half the recipe, or use the ranch sauce for something else.  I bet it would be really good on a salad!

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, cooked and diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/4 c. onion, diced
2 TBS green onion, diced
1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can green chiles
1/2 TBS parsley
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
dash cayenne pepper
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded (I used colby jack)
flour tortillas

Directions:
In large bowl, mix all ingredients together, including chicken. (Make sure it's been fully cooked.)
Saute all ingredients until fully cooked.

Remove from heat and add shredded cheese.  Mix well.  Warm tortillas and place 1/2 cup of mixture inside.  Fold up tightly and cook in a Panini or George Foreman grill until cheese is melted.  (I just cooked it in a frying pan like a grilled cheese.)

Slice and serve with sauce. YUM!

Avocado-Ranch Dipping Sauce
1c. ranch dressing
1 avocado, mashed
1 tsp minced onion
salt and pepper, to taste

Blend all ingredients together until creamy.

Kung Pao Chicken

I have never made any Chinese food aside from ramen noodles and I'm pretty sure that doesn't count.  So I was nervous, I don't even know what some of the ingredients are.  However one of my all time favorite meals is Kung Pao Chicken from Pei Wei.

I had this recipe sitting in my "need to make" file for years.  I don't even remember where I got it from.  I was ready for this meal to fail, and told my kids we would have Eggo Waffles if this went bad.  That being said, I LOVED THIS!  My kids LOVED this and didn't even want to save any for my husband (who wasn't home yet) and wanted to know when I would be making it again!  It was easy (once I got over my nervousness) and super fast!

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken breasts (cut into 1in chunks)
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup green onions (chopped)
6 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 tsp sugar
10 red dried chili peppers
2/3 cup dry roasted peanuts

Directions:

Coat chicken with cornstarch in small bowl.  Heat sesame oil in a walk over medium heat, add chicken and stir fry 5-7 min or until no longer pink inside.  Remove chicken from wok.

Add green onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, dried chili's and powdered ginger to the wok and stir fry for 15 seconds.

Combine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl.  Mix well and add the sauce to the wok.

Return chicken to the wok and coat with sauce.  Stir in roasted peanuts.  Heat thoroughly.  Top with additional green onions if desired and serve over white rice.

*the only other thing I would do different is to add snow peas and thinly sliced carrots 

Chicken Pot Pie

I love going to my Bunco group because every time I get the best recipes!  This one was from my friend Brooxie from Martha Stewart's web site.  And OOOHH so good!  My kids devoured it! (after burning their mouths and having to wait a few minutes first.) oops

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, diced medium
5 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup frozen peas (she used green beans but we don't love green beans at our house)
2 cups diced cooked chicken
salt and pepper
1 sheet thawed puff pastry (found in the freezer section near the pies)
1 beaten egg

 Directions: 

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in peas and chicken and season with salt and pepper.

Divide filling among four 8-ounce ramekins. Roll out 1 sheet puff pastry and cut 4 rounds to fit ramekins. Cut a small X in center of each to vent, then place on top of filling. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 375 degrees until filling is bubbling and crust is golden, 30 to 40 minutes.

Spicy Chicken Bites

This is another recipe I made with my pre-cooked and shredded chicken.

These are so good!  Chicken, hot sauce, and cream cheese all rolled together with a Corn Flake crust.  Yummo!  They have just enough kick to them, but you could go flamin' hot if you're super adventurous like that. I thought they were perfect.

We had these as our main dish, but I'm thinking I might be making these for our next Super Bowl party.  They would be an amazing appetizer!

I will admit I had some troubles getting the balls to stay formed - and they were a little messy!  I might try this as a casserole someday.  I'll just layer the mixture in a casserole dish, and sprinkle the Corn Flakes on top.  What do ya think?

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/4 cup Frank's Hot Sauce (add more if you like it way spicy!)
3 1/2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 - 4 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. (I used foil, and then sprayed it with cooking spray.)

In a large bowl, combine chicken, hot sauce, both cheeses and green onions.  Form into large balls and place onto a separate baking sheet.

Place flour, eggs, and Corn Flakes in 3 separate dishes.  Dip each chicken ball into the flour, then the eggs and last the Corn Flakes. 

Place onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Great plain or with ranch dressing - Enjoy!

Asian Chicken Salad

I LOVE this salad!  The dressing is so sweet and the almonds and Ramen noodles give it a great crunch.  I made a huge batch of cooked chicken one day to use in different recipes, so it really only took me like 5 minutes to throw this all together.

I have actually made this a few times, but had never posted it before.  My son came home from football practice and said "Oh great.  Mom's taking pictures of our dinner, that means it's something new."  (And he didn't say it in a good way. Punk.) haha :) 

However, we all had like 3 helpings, so it really is an excellent salad.

Recipe from My Kitchen Cafe
Ingredients:
1-2 pkg oriental-flavor Ramen noodle soup
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 bag (16 oz) broccoli slaw
1 bag romaine lettuce
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1-2 green onions, chopped
3/4 cup red wine vinaigrette (or make the recipe below)

Red Wine Vinaigrette
Whisk together:
3/4 cup canola or olive oil
6 TBS red wine vinegar
4 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
Ramen noodle seasoning packet

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F - break up Ramen noodles and place them on a rimmed baking sheet along with the sliced almonds.  Bake until noodles and almonds turn light brown.  (About 6-7 minutes.)

Make the vinaigrette, and set aside.

Place broccoli slaw, romaine lettuce, chicken and onions in a large serving bowl.  Toss to combine.

When ready to serve, pour dressing over salad, add toasted almonds and noodles and toss together.

Serves 4 to 6

{Fake} Fried Chicken

This is my new favorite chicken recipe!! It tastes just like fried, but without the slimy skins.
And it's also better than Shake'n Bake for homemade chicken nuggets and strips. (I think so anyway.)

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts or strips (I just cut breasts into strips and pieces)
Milk

Seasoning Mix:
1 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 TBS season salt
2 tsp paprika

Directions:
Place thawed chicken strips in a bowl of milk and soak for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut 1/2 stick of butter into a few pieces and place in 9x13 pan.  Melt butter in pre-heated oven. Spread around the bottom of pan, making sure there are no dry spots. (I did one pan this way, and one just sprayed with cooking spray, and they both turned out pretty much the same.)

Add seasoning mix together in bag, and mix well.  Remove chicken from milk and coat pieces completely in seasoning mix.

Place chicken in pan.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Turn pieces over and cook another 20 minutes or so, until chicken is done.  (If the pieces are a little dry when you turn them over, just spray the tops lightly with cooking spray.)

Enjoy!!

Crunchy Chicken Salad

I absolutely LOVE this salad recipe!  It is so light and tangy, and it has a great crunch to it that makes it super delicious!  I got this recipe from my sister-in-law.  She makes this salad every year for her pre-school Mother's Day Brunch. 

This would be a great salad for a picnic.  You can make everything ahead of time and then just assemble it all last minute.

It is also a great way to use up some of those left-over eggs from Easter. :)

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
3 sticks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, grated
4 green onions, diced
8 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 bag (12 oz) chow mein noodles

Dressing Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup mayo
1 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp pepper
2 TBS honey mustard
2 TBS Johnny's season salt (I used Lawry's - don't know if there is a difference?)
1 TBS lemon juice

Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing.  Store in refrigerator until ready to use. 

In large bowl, combine all salad ingredients except for the chow mein noodles. 

Stir in dressing a little at a time until you get as much as you want.  (I used all of it, and it was a little too strong for me.)

Right before serving, stir in the chow mein noodles.  Otherwise they will get soggy.

Enjoy!

Spicy Honey Chicken

I got this recipe a while ago from My Recipes.  It is so delicious!!

Ingredients:

5-6 boneless chicken breasts
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbsp cider vinegar *

Directions:

Combine garlic, chili powder, onion powder, salt, cumin, red pepper and paprika in ziplock bag.

Lightly coat chicken with oil.  Toss chicken in bag with spices and shake and really squish it to get the spices coating the chicken.  Grill for 4-6 min on each side or until cooked through.  (thicker chicken may take longer on each side)

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in microwave.  Add vinegar and mix well.  Brush on both sides of chicken in the final moments of grilling.

*I didn't have cider vinegar and used red wine vinegar instead and couldn't tell the difference.

This is messy and will drip, but it is soooo yummy!!

Broccoli Chicken Pasta

This was a really easy, and fairly healthy meal.  If you make it with whole wheat pasta it would be perfect! :)  We all really liked it.  I didn't want to cook the chicken, so we just got some rotisserie chicken already cooked and chopped it up.  Yay!  You could also use left over chicken - I usually cook a whole bunch of chicken breasts at one time, shred them and freeze or refrigerate for later.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 box (16 oz) Farfalle pasta, or any other pasta
4 cups broccoli florets
4 TBS olive oil
2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
Salad Supreme, to taste (this adds flavor, otherwise it is pretty bland)

Directions:
Cook and chop chicken, set aside.  Cook pasta until almost done.  Drop broccoli into the water with the pasta and cook until broccoli is crisp tender.  (It only takes a couple minutes if you use fresh broccoli.)  Drain pasta and broccoli.

Toss all ingredients together, add salt and pepper and Salad Supreme, to taste.

Super fast and easy dinner!