Chicken in Lemon Butter Sauce

Apparently I am on the once a month blogging plan. :)

I still cook. Often. And I even try new recipes occasionally. I just rarely have time to sit down and write.

However, this is a recipe I want to remember. I have made it a couple times now.  It is fairly easy to make and is quite tasty.

Chicken in Lemon Butter Sauce.  Yum.

Ingredients:
8 bone-in chicken thighs (I have also used boneless chicken breast or tenders, depending on what I have on hand)

1 Tbsp smoked paprika (optional...we don' use this)

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided (I have used salted without issue)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth


1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan (fresh is best)

juice of 1 lemon (or a splash of lemon juice if you don't have any lemons on hand)

1 tsp dried thyme

2 cups baby spinach, chopped (optional...I leave out. We will eat spinach in a salad, not cooked)


Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400.

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in an oven-proof skillet (I highly recommend cast iron) on medium high heat.  Brown chicken on both sides for a few minutes.  Set chicken aside.

Add remaining Tbsp butter and garlic. Cook for a minute or two, browning garlic.  Then add heavy cream, chicken broth, Parmesan, lemon juice, and thyme.  Bring to a boil.

At this point, you may add spinach if you are using it.  Cook a few minutes until it is wilted and the sauce has thickened.

Add chicken back to skillet.

Bake in oven for about 25 minutes.

We ate ours with rice, bread, and salad.

It was delicious.

Enjoy!

Reba

Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos

I am back.

It has been a long time.

I am not sure my fingers even know how to type anymore (well, other than lesson plans and other school related stuff).

But here I am.

I tried another new recipe this week (which is rare these days since I am often running on fumes...I tend to resort to tried and true), and it was a hit. A HUGE hit.

I have a feeling this will be another tried and true for the future.

And best of all, it cooks in the crockpot until the very end. 

Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos
Ingredients:
2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp chili powder (I omit due to food issues)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin (I doubled to make up for the lack of chili powder :)
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup water (I upped to 1/2 since I used more chicken)
Tortillas (I use flour)
Mexican cheese (I used a whole package of shredded Mexican cheese)
Other toppings (optional):  salsa, sour cream, avocado/guacamole, extra cheese, etc.

Directions:
Put the chicken, spices, cream cheese, and water in the crockpot.

Cook at low for 8 hours or high for 4.

Toward the end of the cooking of the meat (which smells amazing, I might add), shred the chicken with two forks.

Pre-heat to 450.

Scoop about 1/4 a cup of chicken mixture onto a tortilla. Top with a couple tablespoons of shredded cheese. Roll tightly up and place on a greased (I may have forgotten to grease...oops) cookie sheet.  I was able to get 14 with four chicken breasts.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

I have already been asked by one child when I am making this again!

Reba

Garlic Parmesan Baked Chicken Wings

I meant to get a better picture but we were halfway through the meal before I thought, "I need a picture of this!"

And by the end of the meal, there was nothing.

All gone.

Lesson learned.

When I make this again, I need to double the recipe.  Or at least the chicken wings...

I cannot remember exactly where I got this recipe but it is a keeper for sure!

Ingredients:

 

Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Wings 

1/4 cup butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (I always use freshly grated)
24 chicken wings (baked- I baked ours in a baking dish at 375 for 45-50 minutes)

Directions:

Melt butter.

 Add garlic powder, onion salt, and pepper. 

Arrange hot fresh baked wings on a serving platter and drizzle with the butter mixture. 

Top with the Parmesan cheese.

We ate ours with new potatoes in white sauce and homemade parkerhouse rolls.

Enjoy! 

Reba

Chicken Stuffing Bake

Tonight one of my kiddos asked me why I always take pictures of our food. Another one responded, "She is a foodie photographer."  I had to laugh. I told them that I don't have enough time or patience to be a food photographer. Once it is out of the oven, we are ready to eat.  So this is the best I can do under such circumstances.

I have still been cooking. Just lax about blogging lately. :)

This recipe is an old family favorite.

Tonight I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner, which is rare for me. I usually have my menu planned by Sunday.

I knew I had chicken, that I wanted to avoid pasta, and that we had no potatoes.

What to do, what to do.

It just so happened I had some stuffing and some Swiss cheese on hand.

Perfect.

Chicken stuffing bake.

It is a simple recipe (my favorite kind) and easy.

Just what I needed.

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts or tenderloins (skinless, boneless)

Swiss Cheese, sliced

1 container of cream of mushroom soup

1 package stuffing

1/4 cup white wine OR chicken broth

1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:
Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray.  Okay, I totally didn't do that, and it worked just fine.

Spread the Swiss cheese slice on top of the chicken. 

Mix together the cream of mushroom soup, the stuffing, the white wine OR chicken broth, and the melted butter.

Spread over the top of the chicken/cheese.

Cover with foil.

Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.

I served this with green beans and rolls.

Enjoy!

Reba

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

I really need to make this again and take a better picture. I will just say it was a really hectic day when I made this and I was just happy we were finally sitting down to eat.  I didn't have time to do much photography...

So the other night I wanted to try a recipe I had pinned for chicken Alfredo roll ups.  I mean, it had Alfredo sauce, cheese, and pasta. How could I go wrong?

Except like I said, it was a bit of a hectic day.

And I started thinking, "Why do I have to roll up anything? That is more time than I have..."  So I decided to go for more of a lasagna instead.  And thought it wasn't beautiful (as noted above), it was well-received.  And almost all of it was gone before the night ended.

Best of all, it really was easy (especially since I didn't roll anything).

Ingredients:
9-12 lasagna noodles (I did 12)
2 1/2 cups Alfredo sauce (I make a homemade version...YUM)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
oregano
garlic salt
2-3 cups shredded Mozzarella

Directions:
Boil lasagna noodles according to directions on package.

Spray a 9 x 12 inch pan with cooking spray or olive oil.

Heat oven to 350.

Spread a small amount of the Alfredo sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Lay 4 lasagna noodles down on top of the sauce.

Mix the chicken and the Alfredo sauce together.

Spread 1/2 of the chicken/Alfredo sauce over the noodles.

Lay down 4 more lasagna noodles.

Again, spread 1/2 the chicken/Alfredo sauce on top of the noodles.

Place the remaining four noodles on top.

Sprinkle the shredded Mozzarella on top.

Sprinkle the oregano and garlic salt over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

We ate ours with breadsticks.  I would have thrown in some corn or a salad but once again, it was a bit of a crazy night. So we just ate a simple meal.  And loved every bite!

More later,
Reba

Chicken Enchiladas in White Sauce

My family loves Bubble Up Enchiladas. And I love easy chicken enchiladas. 

However, about a year ago, we realized that one of our kiddos has some food sensitivities.  And unfortunately, one of those sensitivities includes tomatoes.  He/she can handle them in small doses but we really just steer clear for the most part. I have even learned how to make an "untomato" spaghetti/pizza sauce using pomegranate juice and carrots.

The other day I was cruising on Facebook and happened upon a recipe for chicken enchiladas in a white sauce. The recipe wasn't quite what I wanted (or had on hand) but it inspired me to do a little Googling to find others.

And finally I found one that worked for us.

So last night I made them.

And today they are gone.

They were a hit.

Actually, probably more than the easy chicken enchiladas I usually make...

I had one leftover enchilada for lunch today. I was actually counting down until lunch to eat it. And then I was sad when it was gone.

Ingredients:
10 tortillas (I used flour)
4 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I browned my chicken tenderloins in a skillet with just a little oil)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend; Monterrey Jack would be good too)
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
4 oz can green chilies (my food sensitive kiddo doesn't eat chilies, so I just added a little cumin instead)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

I did not do this but I would start the sauce NOW.  It takes a little time to thicken.  You can thicken the sauce as you assemble the enchiladas.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan.  Add the flour.  Stir.  Cook for 1 minute.  Add the chicken broth.  Whisk until smooth.  Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  Once it is thick and bubbly, remove from heat and whisk in the sour cream.

As the sauce thickens (before adding the sour cream), assemble the enchiladas.  Mix together the shredded chicken and half of the shredded cheese.  Put a couple spoonfuls in the middle of each tortilla and roll up.  Place in the baking dish.  (Mine were in there pretty tight)

Pour the sauce over the top and then add the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake for about 20 minutes.  Place under broiler for just a few minutes to brown the cheese a bit.

Enjoy!

We at ours with chips (and I added guacamole for me :).

Good stuff.

Reba

Bacon, Chicken, and Rice Casserole

Oh wow, how did a whole week go by without any posting? I am usually much better with this.  I will blame it on a road trip and finishing up our summer vacation.

Meanwhile, I have been cooking.  I didn't cook while on the road trip but I did some cooking before I left so the kids would have some food. Just in case it sounds like I have become a "lazy bones".

Last night, I decided to try a new recipe.  It was fairly simple which is always a "plus" in my mind.   Plus, it involved three of my favorite ingredients...chicken, bacon, and rice.

And the verdict is?  It was a hit.  I will be making it again (though I will change a couple things up...).

Ingredients:
Bacon (not thick cut)

Chicken legs/thighs or breasts, preferably bone-in.  That being said, I used bone-in chicken leg quarters for ours.  Next time I will be trying it with boneless chicken breasts.  The original recipe said to NOT use boneless but we found it really difficult to eat with bones.

2 cans/containers of Cream of Chicken soup

1 cup water

Paprika/Cajun seasoning to taste (I omitted due to food issues at our house)

1 cup long grain uncooked rice (I think next time I will try minute rice and I may even cook it first...my rice didn't cook all the way through)

salt and pepper to taste

garlic salt to taste

nutmeg to taste

1 tsp oregano

dried parsley (a sprinkle or two)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Lay bacon (around 8 slices) in the bottom of a 9 x 13 dish. I think I will pre-cook this next time, at least partially.

Mix 1 can of cream of chicken soup with the rice and pour over the top of the bacon.

Lay chicken on top of the rice.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add paprika and/or Cajun spices if desired.

Mix garlic salt, nutmeg, oregano, and parsley in the remaining cream of chicken soup and add water.  Pour over the top of the chicken. 

Bake for 2 hours.

Like I said, the flavor was delicious. We just had a hard time eating the chicken on the bone.  I will definitely make again, just changing a couple things along the way...

Oh, and we had ours with carrots/Ranch and skillet rolls.

Happy cooking!

Reba

Crockpot Italian Chicken and Potatoes

Someone recently mentioned on FB how much they loved chicken and potatoes in the crockpot. Of course, we asked, "With what?" She said she just used olive oil and dry Italian dressing mix...

Um, that easy?

Well, today I thought I had jury duty.  I DID have jury duty. But the trial was canceled.  I had already planned this meal with the idea that my husband could just add it all to the crockpot and turn it on around noon.  As it turned out, I was the one who did it since I was home after all.

It took me all of about five minutes to throw this together and turn that crockpot on.

And I even made my own Italian dressing.

And it was good.

Simple but good.

We will be eating this often, I think, throughout the school year when I can come home from lunch and get it started then come home later to dinner cooked. Woohoo!

I am sure you could use just a bottle of Italian dressing but I made mine homemade; it takes very little time and is VERY good.  Plus then I control what goes in it.  Oh, when I made it, I doubled the dressing ingredients because I was afraid it would be too dry.  Next time I will stick with one bottle...it was more than enough.  So this is the recipe using ONE bottle worth...

Ingredients:  
Chicken breasts (skinless, boneless...I just put frozen ones in the crockpot)
Small red potatoes, washed and quartered (I can't tell you how many, I just did it until the crockpot was fairly full)
Italian dressing (Mix together 4 oz. olive oil, 1 1/2 oz vinegar, freshly ground black peppercorns, 1/8 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp dry mustard, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp garlic salt)

Directions:
Place chicken breasts and potatoes in the crockpot.  Pour the dressing mix over the top.  Cook on low for 6+ hours.

Enjoy. :)

Reba

Amish Chicken

I can't honestly tell you what makes this chicken dish Amish. Or if it is in fact a real Amish dish.

I just know that it has been a hot recipe on Pinterest.  It looked good and easy, and I decided to give it a try.

And the verdict was...

it is a keeper.

It really took all of 5 minutes to put it together. It does take an hour and a half to bake but I don't have to be IN the kitchen for more than 5 of those minutes.

And for that, I give it five stars...

Ingredients:
4-6 chicken breasts or pieces cleaned (I used 6 boneless/skinless breasts)

1 cup flour

2 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp paprika (due to our food issues here, I left that out and just added a little white pepper instead)

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (I actually only used 1 cup in a slight effort to be healthier :)

1 1/2 cups water (I increased it to 2 to make up for the less whipping cream...next time I won't do that. I had way too much sauce/liquid)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together the flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika in a ziplock bag or a bowl.  Coat chicken in it.  (I find it easier to put it all in a ziplock and shake away :)

Place in a large baking dish.

Combine the whipping cream with the water and pour over the chicken.

Bake for an hour and a half.

I will say that after an hour mine was getting a little brown in parts so I just covered it with foil for the remaining cooking time.

We ate ours over bowtie pasta (YUM).  We also had carrots/Ranch and the butter dip biscuits I mentioned yesterday.


Worth every bite.  And calorie. :)

Reba

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

I saw this on Pinterest not long ago and thought it looked like a good (and quick) meal to make.  Then last night was the perfect opportunity.  We had been hiking all day.  I needed something quick. I had corn in the crockpot (I have decided that IS the way to cook it) and rolls rising.  And I had chicken in the fridge, needing to be cooked. Perfect.

So when I got home, I started the rice, then turned my attention to the chicken.

And in 30 minutes or so, I had a complete meal.

And a good one.

This will be going into our rotation...

I loved my son's perspective on it.

He said it was "Masian" food.  He said it was like Mexican and Asian food combined in one.

And in a way he is correct, though I don't think the original recipe had that intention.  But I changed out one of the ingredients which did indeed give it a Mexican flair. :)

Lots of flavor, a short cooking time, the perfect combination for me.

Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (the original recipe called for 2, I used five.  And this recipe will be based upon that; I doubled the recipe.  I actually cut mine into smaller pieces like tenderloins...next time I will just BUY tenderloins which will cook even a little faster!)

2 tsp Kosher salt

2 tsp paprika (we can't/don't do paprika right now due to a child's food sensitivities, so I did cumin instead which is probably where the Mexican taste came from :)

2 Tbsp sugar (granulated) 

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp dried parsley

4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

(I doubled the butter and olive oil, but I think next time, I would stick with 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil...we had MORE than enough for the skillet)

the juice of one lemon

Directions:
Flatten the chicken with mallet for even sizes.  I put mine in a large ziplock bag to do this.

Combine all of the spices/herbs (salt, paprika/cumin, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley).  Coat chicken with mixture.  (I dumped the spices/herbs into the ziplock bag with the chicken and just gave it a few shakes...it was covered :)

Heat the butter/oil in a large skillet on medium heat.

Once the oil is hot, add the chicken to the skillet.  The original recipe calls for letting it cook about 6 minutes per side.  I just eye it and always check the inside of a chicken piece to make sure. I think mine took a little longer because it was still fairly thick even after using the mallet on it.

Partway through cooking, squirt the juice from the lemon over the chicken.

Cook until done.

We ate ours with basmati rice, Rhodes rolls, and corn on the cob.  (I also had a salad that was wonderful :)

It was good stuff.  Easy and good.

Happy cooking!

Reba

Fried Chicken and Gravy

Last night, other than the green beans, we had a meal of Pinterest recipes.  I have plenty to share this week, just from one meal!  (When I have time, that is...my school year is wrapping up and it is a bit crazy busy around here)

Anyway,  I have made fried chicken before but when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I was eager to try it.  I mean, gravy too?  That is just icing on the cake.  Or gravy on the chicken.

I followed the recipe fairly closely but next time I make this (and there WILL be a next time), I will make some minor changes.

Chicken Ingredients:
Chicken breasts or tenderloins (I used a couple pounds of tenderloins)

3 cups of flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 sleeve of saltine crackers, crushed into little tiny pieces

1 Tbsp bacon fat (I have started saving bacon fat from when I "bake" bacon and freezing it...came in handy!)

Vegetable or canola oil (as needed)

Chicken Directions:
If possible, "brine" the chicken by placing it in a large ziplock bag filled with water and salt.  Keep in the fridge for a few hours.

Drain the chicken, then pound it with a mallet to make it thinner.  

Meanwhile, heat the bacon fat and the oil (I just did poured oil until the skillet had at least an inch in it) into the skillet.  Heat on medium heat.

Mix the flour and cracker crumbs together in a bowl.  Salt and pepper to taste. (The original recipe suggested 2 cups of flour with salt/pepper in one bowl, and then 1 cup of flour mixed with the cracker crumbs in another for a second dip. Honestly, in the future, I would just dip once (one bowl with 2 cups of flour and 1 sleeve of crushed cracker crumbs).    Saves on dirtying up the dishes. :)

Dip the chicken into the flour mixture(s).

Add to the skillet (when hot), making sure not to crowd them.

Heat/cook on one side until golden brown, then flip it.

When it has cooked through, remove from oil (and then add another).  We put a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet and let them sit on the cooling rack (covered by aluminum foil to keep warm).

Gravy Ingredients:
1/4 cup pan drippings (from frying chicken)

1/4 cup flour (you can use 1/4 cup reserved flour from the chicken but I just got a new 1/4 cup flour)

1 1/2 cups milk

salt and pepper to taste
 
Gravy Directions:
Remove about 1/4 cup of pan drippings from the skillet.  Heat in a saucepan or another skillet (or you can do the same one but I did it in a saucepan so my gravy would be ready when my chicken was) over low or low/medium heat.

Add in 1/4 cup flour.  Stir frequently until nice and smooth.

Slowly add the milk.

Continue to stir as it thickens.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat until heated through.

Serve over chicken and/or mashed potatoes.

YUM!

Roasted Chicken Thighs

I saw this recipe on Pinterest not long ago and thought it looked fairly easy and very good.  I actually bought the chicken a few weeks ago to make it then our menu got mixed up so I stuck them in the freezer.

Until yesterday.

I pulled them out and let them defrost in the fridge (then in the microwave for a little while). 

I didn't get to "marinate" as long as I should have (which is what happens when you forget to read over a new recipe the night before), but it worked.

And it was simple.

And good.

My picky eater walked through and actually jumped for joy seeing the chicken.  "That is REAL chicken, Mama!"  I guess the fact that there was even skin made it more real?

:)

Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs (bones/skin included)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 lemon juiced (or about 1/4 a cup of lemon juice)

Salt and pepper

1-2 tbsp grainy mustard (I used "spicy mustard")

2-4 tbsp honey

Directions:  

Pour the olive oil and lemon juice over the chicken.  (I used a ziplock)  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven at 375 for about 25 minutes (or a little longer if you didn't defrost in time :) with the skin down.

After 25 minutes, flip chicken over and return to oven for about 10 more minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together the mustard/honey.  I used about 2 Tbsp mustard and 4 Tbsp honey.  

Remove from oven and brush the mustard/honey on top of the chicken.

Broil for about 5 more minutes.

Enjoy!

We ate ours with potatoes with white sauce, carrots/Ranch, and a Rhodes bread loaf.

It was enjoyed by all.

I will be making this again.  (And next time, I will "marinate" it a little longer...)

Reba

Sesame Chicken

I have been in the mood for some "Chinese" food.  And I do love the sweet and sour chicken. But making it can be a little time consuming. And though it is spring break, I have been busy today with other household chores (like baking sandwich bread and organizing the coat closet). 

So I needed easy.

But good.

Well, on Pinterest, I found just the right recipe.

Sesame Chicken.

It looked easy. Had good reviews. Was light in calories. And would partner well with fried rice which we will love to eat around here. 

So sesame chicken it was.

My pickiest eater said, "This is a really good meal even if it isn't sweet and sour chicken."  Trust me, that is a compliment coming from her.

And the chicken? ALL gone.  Nothing left.

There may have actually been a child licking the dish clean.

Yes, really.

I agree with all of the above. It isn't sweet and sour chicken (much milder) but it was good. And with the fried rice, it was an excellent pair.  We will definitely have this again, especially on those nights my time is limited.

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 to 2 pounds chicken tenderloins cut into chunks

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp whole wheat flour (or whatever flour you prefer...the original recipe called for one but I doubled it since I had closer to 2 pounds of chicken)

1 Tbsp sesame oil (seriously, could anything smell better???)

2 garlic cloves minced

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1/2 cup chicken stock (I used broth since I had that on hand)

sesame seeds (the original recipe used both white and black...I couldn't find black so we just used white)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

The original recipe has you start on the stovetop with a skillet then move it to the oven. I try NOT to put my skillets in the oven if at all possible, so I just stuck a 9 x 13 inch dish in the oven and transferred the chicken to it from the skillet.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet at medium heat.

Meanwhile, put the flour, salt, and pepper in a ziplock bag. Add the chicken to the bag and shake away.

Place the chicken in the hot skillet and sear on each side of the chicken for about 3 minutes each side.

Meanwhile, mix together the sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and chicken stock.

Once the chicken is browned, transfer to the hot dish (or keep in the skillet) and pour the chicken stock mixture over the top.

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.

Once cooked through, sprinkle sesame seeds over the top and serve.

Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

I saw this recipe (or rather the pictures from it which are MUCH nicer than my pictures) on Pinterest and decided we just really needed to try it.

So finally last week, we did.

And I really liked it. 

It was good stuff. :)

Ingredients: 
2 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed (or in my case, minced)

6 boneless chicken breasts

1 jar of tomato sauce (or in our case, a jar of homemade non-tomato sauce)

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded

Croutons (the original recipe called for a whole package...I didn't use that many. I think I am too cheap :)

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven at 350.

Spread the olive oil over the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan.  Sprinkle the crushed garlic over the olive oil.

Place chicken on top of garlic.

Sprinkle the chicken with half of the chopped basil.

Top with the tomato sauce (or in my case, the non-tomato sauce :).  Sprinkle remaining chopped basil.

Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Sprinkle croutons over the cheese.

Then top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 35-45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Reba

Chicken and Shrimp Pad Thai

A couple years ago, my husband insisted I should try Pad Thai.

I was more willing at this point to try new foods, so I did.

And I loved it.

Unfortunately, that same man who invited me to try it found out that he and Pad Thai did not agree with one another...namely the spices involved.

So that was basically the end of my pad thai days.

I have been craving it for some time now.

Not long ago I found a recipe on Pinterest (of course) for "pad thai". 

I perused the recipe and saw that it was simple and fairly easy to make.  And best of all, no wild spices.

Let me preface the recipe by saying that I know this is not true Pad Thai.

No fish sauce.  No tamarind.  Not even bean sprouts.

Just standard ingredients in my house.

Which I was fine with.

I will admit, my family all looked nervous as I threw it together.

Then we tasted it.

Oh yum.

It was delicious.

A definite "pad thai" taste but all with basic ingredients we could all eat.

And eat we did.

This will DEFINITELY be going into my cycle of recipes.

And next time I am craving pad thai, I will not have to be sad that we aren't having a thai date.

I will just hop into the kitchen and throw it together.

Yum.

Ingredients:
1 box rice noodles (I used brown rice noodles, Annie Chun's pad thai)

Shrimp and chicken, thawed and cleaned (I cut chicken tenderloins into little chunks) and sprinkled with soy sauce

2 Tbsp brown sugar (I actually doubled this)

2 Tbsp lime juice (I just used the juice from a medium lime), lime slices for garnishing

3-4 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp vegetable oil (I actually used toasted sesame oil...LOVE that stuff)

Onions (The original recipe called for scallions separated by white and green parts...I forgot to get some at the store so I just used some regular chopped onion)

1 garlic clove minced (I used two; I LOVE garlic)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts

Directions:

The original recipe called for soaking the noodles in hot water. After reading some comments, I felt like boiling was a better way to go.  So I boiled them according to directions. They don't take long to boil at all.  Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile in a bowl, mix the brown sugar, lime juice, and soy sauce.  You can also add a squirt of Sriracha.  I chose not to.  Set aside.

In a large skilled, heat the oil and add the garlic/white onion.  Cook over medium heat.

Once tender, pour the beaten eggs into the skillet, stirring often until the eggs are cooked.  Remove the eggs.  I just kept the garlic/white onion separate in the skillet.

Add a little more sesame oil if needed.  Cook chicken and shrimp (these are both optional...the original recipe doesn't use either of these) until they are cooked through.

Add the noodles, the sauce, and the green parts of the onions (if you remember to get them :) to the skillet.  Stir together with the chicken, shrimp, and the onions/garlic.  Add the eggs back in.  Stir thoroughly. 

Sprinkle the cilantro and peanuts over the top.

Garnish with lime slices if you prefer.  (We didn't eat them but they added a nice touch and that little bit of extra lime flavor)

Enjoy!

We just ate ours with a side salad.  It was a complete meal (other than the salad) in one skillet.

Like I said, we all enjoyed it.  Those who didn't care for shrimp just picked those out.  There were others of us more than willing to eat the extras. :)

Happy cooking!

Reba

PS My husband said this would be a good "beach" meal.  The limes gave it that "beachy" flavor. :)

Chicken Tetrazzini

 When I was in college, a friend of mine made a version of chicken tetrazzini. I vaguely remember that (since it was a few, or several, years ago.

I very much remember loving the taste.

I don't think I have had it since.

So not long ago, it came to mind. And I wanted some.  Right now.

Obviously, I couldn't do it right now.  But it got the ball rolling.

I started googling in search of recipes.

I finally found one on a message board I am part of.  I can't fully give credit or link back since it is on a private message board. But I want to say a BIG thank you to Larisa for sharing this recipe.  I followed it fairly closely, adapting it just slightly.

I won't lie.

It was a little daunting.

The recipe is a very "natural" recipe...down to stewing a whole chicken and even making my own "cream" soup.

I am sharing the recipe while adding that you could easily simplify this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 stewed chicken (Stewing a chicken basically means taking a 3-4 pound chicken, covering it with water, bringing it to a boil, then boiling it at medium high heat for about an hour.  Save the broth!)

By the way, I only used half the chicken (pulled off the bones after it has boiled and cooled).  I froze the other half to use for a soup later.  I will also say that I am pretty sure you could just use boil frozen chicken breasts or tenderloins instead.  You will just have to use store bought broth.

1 1/4 cups chicken broth (just skim off the fat from the water you used before to stew the chicken)

16 oz spaghetti noodles cooked

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cream soup (Recipe below)- You can also use a can of cream of chicken AND a can of cream of mushroom instead.  I will say though that the homemade cream recipe is YUM.

Breadcrumbs (I actually had some leftover homemade bread that I used to make crumbs)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the chicken, noodles, cheddar cheese, chicken broth, and cream soup all together and pour into a large casserole dish.

Top with bread crumbs.

The original recipe recommending dotting with butter.  Since I had already used quite a bit of butter in the cream soup, I just sprayed it with olive oil in my oil mister.  It worked.

Bake for 45-55 minutes.

Enjoy!

We ate ours with breadsticks and carrots/Ranch.

It was quite a hit.

In fact, when I first made it, I said, "I probably should cut this recipe in half next time."  Except that we ate every bite of it.  Not all at once.  But eventually.

It was yum.

Oh, here is the cream soup recipe:
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (again, I just used the broth from the stewed chicken)
1 1/4 cup half and half
6 1/2 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp starch (I used cornstarch)

Melt the butter, stir in a pinch of salt, and add the chicken broth.  Heat until hot.

Meanwhile whisk the cornstarch with the half and half.

Add to the pan all at once.

Cook quickly, stirring until thickened.

Did I mention how good it is???

Reba

PS I had a lot more "broth" leftover I have frozen AND I saved the "carcass" of the chicken.  They are in the freezer for the next time I need to make broth.  I think I got my money's worth out of that chicken!

Baked Chicken and Dumplins

I saw this on Pinterest the other day.

Baked Chicken and Dumplins.

No, not dumplings.

You have to say it the Southern way.

Dumplins.

I LOVE Dumplins.

When I go to visit Mark's family in Mississippi, his mom often makes a big pan of chicken and dumplins.

I attempted it once.

It was NOT the same.

So that is why I found this recipe intriguing.

It is LIKE chicken and dumplins but not.

So this morning I popped out of bed and boiled the chicken.

Then I stuck it and the broth in the fridge.

After school, I rushed home and I threw it all together and stuck it in the oven before running kids around.

And about an hour and a half later, we sat down to eat.

I should mention that after only 20-30 minutes, the kids were saying, "What is that smell? It smells so good..."

Anyway, an hour and a half later, we sat down to eat.

And we loved it.

Well, five out of six.

One of out six was her usual "It's okay..."

She is picky that way.

Five out of six works for me.

We WILL be having this again.

Oh, and my hubby is not a big dumplin guy but he LOVED this.  He thought it tasted a lot like a pot pie minus the veggies.

We both agreed it was comfort food at its finest.

This recipe makes a large pan.  I had to scoop just a little bit for my lunch tomorrow or the teenager would have finished it off.  I thought we would have a lot left over.

No such luck.

Ingredients:
4-6 large chicken breasts, boneless. I had frozen tenderloins on hand so I used that.

1 1/2 sticks butter, divided.  I used to use "light" but due to one of my kiddo's sensitivities, I am using the real stuff these days.  YUM.

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour (If I had to do it over again, I would have doubled the milk and flour)

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups chicken broth (The original recipe called for 3.  I didn't use the third one and I still thought it was amazing.

1 can (or in my case, box) cream of chicken soup (The original recipe called for cream of celery. I didn't have any of that.

1/2 tsp savory (I didn't have that so I just sprinkled rosemary and thyme)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place the chicken breasts, 4 Tbsp of butter, salt, and pepper in a large pot.  Cover with water.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Then simmer for about 30-45 minutes until tender.

Remove chicken from broth.  Let it cool a bit then shred it (I just used two forks).

If you do this ahead of time (I have to or I run out of time), put your shredded chicken in the fridge.  Also store that chicken broth.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees when ready to cook.

Melt the remaining stick of butter in a large dish. I used a 9 x 13.

Spread the shredded chicken all over the bottom of the dish.

Mix together the flour and the milk. (As I mentioned before, the one change I will make next time is to double the flour and the milk.)

Pour over the chicken and spread out as much is possible.

Mix together the broth (I just used the broth that remained after boiling the chicken), sour cream, the cream of chicken soup, and savory (or thyme and rosemary for me..).  Spread over the top of the chicken/flour mixture.

Bake for 30-40 minutes.  Then let it cool for about 15 minutes.  At one point mine was getting a bit brown on top, so I stuck some aluminum foil over the top for the last 10 minutes or so...

Oh, you are supposed to pour one more cup of chicken broth over the top after it cooks but I didn't.

And know that it is never extra firm.  It will seem a bit runny.

But also know it is good stuff.

We had it with green beans and homemade bread.

It was SOOOO yummy.

I enjoyed every bite!

Happy cooking!

Reba

Chicken and Bacon Wild Rice Soup

I really need to take some kind of food photography class.

Of course, the hard part is that I would have to have time to get things just right.

And usually when I make dinner, I have little people chomping at my heels, ready to eat.

Anyway, I made this one cold day last week.

It was everything I had hoped it would be...and more.

I know, you can't tell by looking at the picture.

Just trust me.

Chicken, bacon, half and half, wild rice.

A good hearty meal.  A stick to the ribs kind of meal.  A "I don't think I can eat another bite" kind of meal.

It was all good but I won't lie. The bacon just puts this over the top.  And even thought there wasn't that much bacon in it, the flavor just spread through the "soup" like wildfire.

This is technically a soup though mine was a VERY thick stew. That may be because I threw in some extra rice.  Or maybe it was just the way I cooked it.  Either way, it was thick.  But that didn't stop anyone from eating it.

I found the recipe here.  If I remember correctly, this was not a Pinterest recipe, though I think I have posted it since. It was a recipe I found during a search one night as I thought about chicken and wild rice.

Ingredients:
about 32 oz chicken broth (the original recipe calls for 3 cans but the chicken broth I use comes in large boxes :)

2 cups water

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed.  (Note:  I totally forgot the "rinsed" part.  Remember that part if you make this.  The "soup/stew" comes out kind of oddly colored otherwise.  Not to mention, with all of the news about tainted rice, it is better to rinse it first.  Another note:  I added about 1 cup of rice just because. I think that is why it was SOOO thick)

1/2 cup finely chopped green onions (I didn't have any. I can't remember if I threw in a little bit of dried onion or not...probably)

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning (I left this out)

1/8 tsp pepper

2 cups half and half (gives it a VERY rich flavor)

8 slices bacon cooked/crumbled

1 1/2 cups diced or shredded chicken (I actually had some chicken left over from a "crockpot rotisserie" chicken I had made so I used that)

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring the water and broth to a boil.  Add the rice (and onion if using), cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes until the rice is tender.  There will be extra broth. So don't worry.  That is supposed to be there. :)

In a different saucepan, melt the butter.  Stir in the flour and seasonings.

Cook 1 minute, stirring often until bubbly and smooth.

Gradually stir in the half and half to the butter mixture.  Stir often until it is slightly thickened.

Add the mixture into the large saucepan with the rice.

Add in the chicken and the bacon pieces.

Heat on low for at least half an hour (longer if possible).  Do NOT boil.

Enjoy!

Like I said, it was really good. And it was just as good re-heated.

A perfect winter meal.

Enjoy!
Reba

Chicken Avocado Salad

I will be upfront here.

This recipe was totally for me.

I am the only person in the family who eats avocados.

But when I saw this recipe via Pinterest, I just knew I had to try it.

So last week I gathered the necessary ingredients, put them together, and chowed down for lunch/dinner the next few days.

For me (one who loves avocados), it was delicious.

Not low in calories or fat, but it is all good fat, right? :)

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cut into small pieces (I followed the recipe above and used it from a rotisserie chicken but I will try it just with boiled chicken next time...much cheaper :)

2 medium avocados, diced

2 T fresh squeezed lime juice (divided...1 T each)  Note: I did not add that much. I used one lime and got all of the juice I could from it.  It was plenty for me)

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion (I just cut with kitchen scissors)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro (as finely or as coarsely as you want)

2 T mayo (or light)

Directions:
Place the shredded chicken in one bowl.

In another bowl,mix 1 T lime juice with the avocado in another bowl.  Season with salt to taste.

Mix the mayonnaise and remaining lime juice to make the dressing.

Add the sliced onions and dressing to the bowl of chicken, mixing until the chicken is coated with dressing.

Add the avocado and cilantro to the bowl, gently stirring.

Either serve right away or chill in the fridge. I did keep mine overnight in the fridge, and it was just as good the next day.

The original recipe suggested serving with pita bread or on a leaf of lettuce or just alone. I really wanted a little crunch. So I placed mine upon a "bed" of chips.  Then I topped it with Parmesan.

And I loved every bite.

Every fattening bite. :)

Reba

Chicken Pillow Pockets

Recently my friend Carol, a faithful reader and commenter as well as a fellow lover of food, shared a recipe with me. She had made it for her family and thought I might like to try it.  The funny thing is I had pinned it once upon a time on Pinterest which means I was definitely interested.  I just hadn't gotten around to making it.

This past week, I finally did.

They reminded me of a fancier version of the "hot pockets" I make on occasion.  And when I say fancier, I mean even tastier.

Yum.

The sauce was just yum.

I had only one child turn her nose up at it, yet it is the same child who totally shuns the hot pockets I make. So that wasn't a total surprise.

As for me, I loved it.

Ingredients:
 
1 package of 8 crescent rolls (I used light)

8 oz cream cheese (I used light)

1/4 cup butter (Guess what...I used light :)

2-3 cups cooked and shredded chicken (I just boiled some frozen tenderloins then shredded)

1 egg

1 sleeve Saltine crackers, crushed

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup milk

2 spoonfuls of sour cream (I did use light but they were also heaping spoons :)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (yes, light again)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Soften butter and cream cheese (I just set out about half an hour before).  Stir together to a smooth consistency.  Add in cooked/shredded chicken.

Lay out the crescents and stretch out. Instead of triangles, I pinched the seams and rolled our rectangles, then I cut the rectangles in half to make squares. Does that make sense?

Spread two spoonfuls of the chicken mixture in the middle of the crescent roll squares.

Bring in the corners, pinching together any holes and seams.  It should look like a little pillow.

Take the egg and add a little bit of water (maybe 2 Tbsp) in a separate bowl.  Mix together.

Dip the pillows into the egg then into the Saltine crumbs.

Place on a cookie sheet or baking dish.

Cook the "pillows" for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

While the "pillows" cook, create the sauce by mixing together the cream of chicken soup and the milk to a desired consistency.  At the end, add in the sour cream and cheese.

Pour over the "pillows".

Then enjoy!

Reba