White Chicken Chili

1lb. Cubed chicken

1 small onion

2 cloves minced garlic

Sauté these 3 ingredients, once chicken is cooked through add:

3 cans drained white beans (greater northern)

1 can chicken broth

1can green chilies

1tsp. Salt

1tsp. Oregano

1tsp. Cumin

1/2 tsp. pepper

Bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered 30 min. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup half and half. 

(I added some corn, but it's yummy without. You can use reduced fat sour cream and half and half and it still tastes pretty good)

Serve with chips

Chicken Parmigiana

We tried out a new recipe for one of our favorite dishes.  We were running behind that day and the kids had to pitch in.  They had a ball.  Plus, I'd been wanting to learn to make "sauce."

Ingredients

• 4 whole (up To 6) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Trimmed And Pounded Flat
• 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3/4 cups Wine (white Or Red Is Fine)
• 3 cans (14.5 Oz.) Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1/4 cube Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 pound Thin Linguine

Preparation Instructions

Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate.

Dredge flattened chicken breasts in flour mixture. Set aside.

Flatten chicken between saran wrap with a rolling pin.  Dredge flattened chicken breasts in flour mixture. Set aside.

At this time, you can start a pot of water for your pasta. Cook linguine until al dente.

Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted and oil/butter mixture is hot, fry chicken breasts until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm.

Without cleaning skillet, add onions and garlic and gently stir for 2 minutes. Pour in wine (I skipped this part) and scrape the bottom of the pan, getting all the flavorful bits off the bottom. 

Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Toward the end of cooking time, add chopped parsley and give sauce a final stir.

Carefully lay chicken breasts on top of the sauce and completely cover them in grated Parmesan. Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly heated. Add more cheese to taste.

Place cooked noodles on a plate and cover with sauce. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with more parsley. Serve immediately.

retrieved from:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/chicken-parmigiana/

Green Enchiladas

This recipe is from Jake's brother Stuart's girlfriend's mom.  You got that? Last April, when Jake's grandmother passed away, and I was yucky pregnant sick, I ate some and it tasted AMAZING and even more amazingly it was the only thing I kept down.  Jake doesn't like enchilada's (except Tiff Pierce's recipe for them, which he just asked me to make two days ago), but he will eat this recipe.  I use this blog as reference a lot, but always plan on writing better recipes or doing pics for tutorials.  Until I get to that point, I'm going to post it here for now:

2 big cans green enchilada sauce
3 cans cream of chicken soup
10 chicken breasts
10-12 tortillas
1 big bag cheese, 1 small
1 container sour cream



mix soup, sauce , & half of sour cream in pan, heat
cook chicken 20 min at 375
chop chicken, about1/3 cup sauce in every tortilla, add chicken and cheese
line pan with sauceaaa
fold into burrito, place into pan
fill entire pan with tortillas
pour all extra sauce on top and add remaining cheese


cook for 30 minutes at 350

Buffalo Chicken Dip

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded (the person I got this from would do hers in the crockpot on Low for 7 hours the day before)

1 - 12oz bottle Frank's Original Hot Sauce

2 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese

1 - 13 oz. jar Lighthouse Blue Cheese dressing(we do ranch)

1/2 cup chopped celery

8 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese

In a 13x9x2 inch baking pan, combine the shredded chicken meat with the entire bottle of hot sauce, spreading to make an even layer.

In a saucepan, combine the cream cheese and the blue cheese dressing over medium heat until smooth.

Pour this mixture evenly over the chicken.  Sprinkle with the chopped celery and then the shredded cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.  (Watch that the top doesn't get too browned).  Let stand 10 minutes.

Serve hot or warm with tortilla chips or celery sticks.

*This recipe below is one Michelle found online*

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

2 [10 ounce] cans chunk chicken, drained 2 [8 ounce]packages cream cheese, softened 1 cup Ranch dressing 3/4 cup red hot sauce 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese Heat chicken and red hot until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and Ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half the cheddar cheese and transfer mixture to a slow cooker.Sprinkle of the remaining cheese over top, cover, and cook on low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with Ritz crackers or chips

Ree's Butter Chicken

I’m not sure if these prewrites are worth it or a colossal waste of time, but here goes anyway:

I have already mentioned my little personal rules for this blog: I won’t post a recipe unless I have tried it myself and can attest that it’s good.  Second, I don’t post recipes straight from a mainstream online source (like foodnetwork.com, for example) unless I have made a fairly significant modification.    

That being said, since moving to France, I’ve discovered the blog of Pioneer Woman, AKA Ree Drummond.  I really like most of her recipes, and I like her wit and sass too.  I appreciate her not just because she’s entertaining, but I love the step by step instructions on her blog.  I have made several of her recipes lately, and some of them have made it into our permanent rotation.  Usually I don’t feel the need to change much on the recipes, because they are good as is.  However, the last dish I tried wasn’t flavorful enough for me, so I made some changes and tried it a second time.  Second time was the charm, and I LOVED it and so had to share it.  This recipe is a keeper for sure, especially if you like Indian food, but I hope you’ll try it even if you don’t.  I am sure this dish isn’t authentically Indian, but I still like this "Americanized" version quite a lot.  If you ever have to cook for guests that say they like Indian food, please keep this dish in mind.  You’re missing out if you don’t!

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (about one pound, I think)

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. salt

½ t. black pepper

½ t. cayenne pepper

½ t. ground coriander

½ t. cumin

½ t. cardamom

1 whole lime, juiced

1 small onion, diced

¼ C. butter

1 can (about 8 oz) tomato sauce

1 can (about 14 oz) petite diced tomatoes

2 C. heavy cream (I recommend using coconut milk for half the cream content—so good)

large handful cilantro, chopped, to taste

Yeah, this recipe is NOT low fat.  Sorry.  But it’s worth some extra time on the treadmill.  Trust me.

Directions:

Combine first 9 ingredients and marinate overnight if possible in a ziplock bag.  It would work to begin in the morning and marinate it all day as well.  In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in the butter until soft, for about 5 minutes.  Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes.  Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.  Cook, covered, for 30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.  Add cream and cilantro at the end (just before serving) and heat through.  You could also use half-and-half instead of heavy cream.  Serve over rice.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

I got this recipe from my friend Amy Kartchner.  It is really easy and super delicious.  The only modification I have had to make in France is to use fresh chicken cooked for about 2-3 hours in a crock pot rather than Costco canned chicken.  (I can't find any canned chicken of any kind here.)  Then I have to increase the salt amount by a little and cut the chicken up finely.  It's a little more work, but it's still really good, although believe it or not, I still prefer canned chicken in this recipe for both the taste and ease of preparation.

Ingredients:
1/3 C. butter
1/3 C. flour
1/3 C. onion, diced
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1-3/4 C. chicken broth (1 can)
2/3 C. milk, the creamier the better
1 bag frozen peas and carrots
2 12.5-oz. cans chicken, drained
2 premade pie crusts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 F.  In a large skillet or saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour and onions.  When onions are translucent, add the salt and pepper, chicken broth, and milk over low heat.  Simmer until it thickens.  Add the peas and carrots and the chicken.  Mix well.  Spoon into a pie plate with one pie crust already on it.  Spread another crust on top.  Pinch and flute edges.  Cut 4 slits on top to vent.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.  Use foil around edges of cust to prevent overbrowning.  Delicious! Even kids like this.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I remember mom making homemade chicken noodle soup.  My favorite memory was in Colorado when I had a snow day and was outside sledding and playing all day and she had a HUGE pot of soup on the stove and I kept coming in to eat some and then going back out to play.  One of my favorite snow memories. (which is more revolved around food than snow)  :)  Through couponing I acquired a ton of egg noodles for free and had no recipes to use them for.  I asked mom about her recipe and she just gave me one of those "oh, a little of this and that" throw it together recipes.  Those kind give me high anxiety when I'm first trying them out.  I researched a little online and then compiled this recipe from a few different variations.  The pictured bowl doesn't have much broth, but it usually has a good even ratio of chunk to broth.  I think it is soooo yummy!  I took this pic on the floor in the napper room at school while I was eating my lunch late and trying to pat childrens' backs at the same time.  :)  Tell me what you think if you try it!

What you need:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1/2 pound shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1 1/2 cups egg noodles
• 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

 I usually use leftover chicken or shredded up pieces of the rotisserie kind that you can buy at the store. I never really measure out for this recipe, I just add as I see fit.  Last time I added zucchini and squash and that was tasty too.  If you're going to try that, do it at the very end. 

What you do:

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and celery in butter until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in chicken and vegetable broths and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. (I usually add the carrots toward the end of the 5 minutes to soften them up a little bit)  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

My family loves this recipe.  I got it from Brooke Andelin, who is the identical twin sister of our friend Megan Larkin in St. George.  I have made it and shared it with lots of people, most of whom have asked for the recipe.  In France I need to learn to make my own crunchy tortilla strips, but at home, we just bought them from Bajio or Café Rio.  I especially love this recipe for being easy, but really tasty too!

Ingredients:

2 large or 3 small chicken breasts (fresh or frozen—I have used both)

1 28-oz. can green chili enchilada sauce

1 10-oz. can chicken broth

3 green onions, chopped (optional, and I have to admit, I have never used green onions in this recipe)

1 T. garlic, minced

3 T. chopped cilantro

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I have also used white beans)

1 can corn, drained

½ can green chilies (I added this to the recipe, so it’s optional too, and I usually double the recipe and use a whole can)

Black pepper to taste

Topping:

Diced avocado (drizzled with lime juice)

Sour cream

Shredded cheese

Tortilla strips

Directions:

In a crock pot place the chicken with the ½ can green chilies (if desired), the green enchilada sauce, chicken broth, onions (if you are using them), and garlic.  Cook on low until chicken shreds easily (about 4-5 hours for frozen, and about 2 hours for fresh).  After chicken is cooked and shredded, add corn, beans, and pepper to taste.  Heat through.  Add cilantro just before serving to preserve bright green color.  Top with tortilla strips, sour cream, diced avocado (drizzled with lime juice if desired), and shredded cheese.  You can also omit the chicken broth and serve the chicken mixture on fresh flour tortillas, burrito style.   

Crunchy Chicken Toes

This recipe is from Rachel Ray.  I first saw it in her magazine, but I have also seen it on "30-Minute Meals."  It is one of my kids' favorites, and I think it's probably a lot healthier for them than processed chicken nuggets (which they don't eat all that well anyway).  They devour this recipe though, and Jason and I actually like it a lot too.  We eat these right along with the kids whenever I make them!  My kids also think it's funny they are called "chicken toes" rather than "chicken fingers."  I ususally serve them with flavored rice and green beans for a super simple meal.

Ingredients:

1 C. cornflakes, crunched up with fingers

1 C. plain bread crumbs

2 T. brown sugar

1 t. salt

½ t. pepper

½ t. allspice

3 T. vegetable oil

1-1/2 lbs. chicken breast tenders, cut into roughly 2” pieces (or just cut up chicken breasts)

1/3 C. flour

2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375⁰ F.  In a shallow dish pour the cornflakes, breadcrumbs, sugar, s & p, and allspice; mix well.  Drizzle the oil evenly over the breading, mixing it well.  Dunk the chicken pieces into flour, then egg, then the crunchy breading.  Arrange the chicken on a nonstick baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.  Best dipping sauce is a mix of honey mustard and barbecue sauce, but my kids like to have lots of options, including ketchup and ranch.  Serves 6.

Cafe Rio Chicken

1 sm bottle zesty italian dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic-minced
4-5 lbs chicken breast

Cook all ingredients in crock pot for 4 hours, shred, then cook another hour.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I can't take credit for this recipe. I got it from the blog of my friend, Melanie Hegewald, but it is such a keeper. I love that it uses both corn tortillas and chicken; all the recipes for enchiladas I have used in the past with chicken and green enchilada sauce use flour tortillas, so it was fun to try something different.

Best part, my family LOVED these. All three of the girls just scarfed them, and then we had some for leftovers and the whole family ate them again really well. It's a home run of a recipe--delicious for both the kids and the adults. Just adjust heat level to your taste. I used 2 t. of chili powder and mild sauce for them. I could have gone hotter for me.

1/2 C. honey
1/3 C. lime juice (about 2 large limes)
2-3 t. chili powder, depending on heat level desired
2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced or 1/2 t. garlic powder
1 & 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large breasts), cooked and shredded (I used all chicken off of a rotisserie chicken, including the dark meat)
3 C. Mexican cheese blend, shredded; 2C. is for the filling and 1C. is for the top
1/4 C. chopped cilantro
12 corn tortillas (the ones I used were fairly large, like the size of flour tortillas; I did not use the size used for “Pierce Tacos,” for example, and I cut them on the sides a little to fit side by side in the pan)
1 14-oz can of green enchilada sauce (mild or medium, to your taste)
3/4 C. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cooked and shredded chicken in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, place the honey, lime juice, chili powder and minced garlic or garlic powder. Whisk together thoroughly to combine. Pour this mixture over the chicken, add 2 cups shredded cheese and the cilantro and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to marinate while you prepare the tortillas, 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, in the refrigerator.

Heat a large griddle till a drop of water skitters across (about 350 degrees F). Spray the surface with non-stick cooking spray or oil it with a little bit of canola oil in between each round of tortillas. Heat tortillas about 20 seconds on each side till warm and flexible and some golden brown spots have appeared. Remove the tortillas from the griddle and keep them between a couple of paper towels until ready to use.

Sray or oil the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl combine the enchilada sauce and the heavy cream. Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the bottom of the oiled baking dish.
Add at least 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla. Roll the tortilla up and place the enchilada seam side down in the baking dish starting at one end with the long edge parallel to the longest side of the pan so that you end up with two columns of six enchiladas each.
Repeat with the remaining chicken mixture and tortillas. Pour the creamy mixture over the top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake the enchiladas for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top. Serve with sour cream, sliced avocado, black beans, and Spanish rice or a green salad for a great meal.

Shoyu Chicken

1 1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c soy sauce
1 1/2 c water
2 cloves garlic-minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Cook above ingredients with frozen chicken until tender.  Serve over rice.

Bowtie Chicken

A favorite among the kids for a dinner idea.

Prepare mixture in large mixing bowl of:

1/2 c or more of parmesan cheese
4 T milk
1 cube softened butter/margarine
2 or 3 cloves of minced garlic
salt and pepper

Cook one or two boxes of bowtie pasta and drain

Place cooked pasta in large mixing bowl and toss with mixture.

Add precooked and diced chicken and toss and serve.  Really good the next day.