Honey Chicken Marinade

I modified this recipe from one I found on allrecipes.com. It was really good. The honey gives the chicken a nice sweet taste, but is also really subtle.

Honey Chicken Marinade

Source: allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1/4c soy sauce

3tbs honey

2tbs cider vinegar

1 1/2tsp garlic powder (I used 3 cloves garlic)

1 1/2tsp ground ginger

3/4c olive oil

2 green onions, chopped

1tsp black pepper

Directions:

Whisk all the ingredients together. Marinate chicken breast for at least 2 hours, but not longer than overnight. Cook in your favorite way (I prefer grilling).

Velveeta Cheesy Chicken Skillet

What's not to love about mac n cheese, yummy vegetables, and chicken all mixed up? I chose this recipe because it used Velveeta Shells & Cheese which is my favorite boxed dinner EVER. It was very good and we will be making it again. Next time, I may steam the veggies a bit before adding them though because I prefer them a bit more tender than they turned out.

Velveeta Cheesy Chicken Skillet

Source: Kraft Foods

Ingredients:

1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bit sized pieces

1 package (12oz) Velveeta Shells & Cheese

1c milk

1c water

1c broccoli florets (I used frozen but thawed them before adding)

1c sliced carrots

Directions:

Cook chicken in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until cooked through.

Add shells, milk and water, stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add broccoli and carrots, stir. Cook, covered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in Velveeta sauce.

New Mexican Black Bean Burritos

What a great, quick, light supper! We very much enjoyed these. Next time I may season them a bit more, but otherwise, they were very delicious. We added some shredded chicken to out burritos to add some protein.

New Mexican Black Bean Burritos

Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 can black beans, drained, rinsed, and mashed

1 tsp finely chopped chipotle chilies (I used 1 small can green chilies)

4 flour tortillas

1 large tomato, chopped (I omitted)

Directions:

Spray skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Cook onion ans garlic about 5 minutes. Stir in beans and chilies. Cook until hot.

Assemble burritos, topping with cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, etc.

Stuffed Chicken Parmesan

This was actually fairly easy to throw together and is pretty healthy. I'm not a huge fan of chicken parmesean so I thought it was just ok, but my husband enjoyed it. If you like chicken parmesean, you will probably enjoy this dish.

Stuffed Chicken Parmesan

Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

10oz frozen, cut spinach, thawed and drained

2oz cream cheese, softened

1/4c shredded parmesean cheese

1/2tsp dried basil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4c egg product (I omitted since I usually coat chicken without egg)

12 crushed wheat crackers (I used breadcrumbs)

2tsp dried basil

1/2tsp pepper

1c pasta sauce

1/2c shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 375. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Between pieces of plastic wrap, gently pound chicken to 1/4in thick.

Mix spinach, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, 1/2tsp basil, and garlic. Spread about 1tbs mixture on each chicken breast. Roll up tightly and secure with toothpicks.

Place egg product in shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, mix cracker/bread crumbs, remaining basil, and pepper. Dip each chicken breast in egg mixture and then coat with crumb mixture. Place seam side down in baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Pour pasta sauce over chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 to 15 more minutes until chicken is done.

Chicken Taco Skillet

I completely forgot to take a picture of this delicious meal. Trust me though when I say that it was fabulous. It was quick, yummy, and healthy! It's a VERY adaptable dish. You can throw cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes, etc. and it would still be great. We topped ours with a bit our sour cream and crunch up tostada shells

Chicken Taco Skillet
Source: Adapted from Betty Crocker
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in strips
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2-3c frozen corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2c water
traditional taco toppings of your choice

Directions:
Spray large skillet with non stick spray. Cook chicken on medium high speed until no longer pink in the center, about 8-10 minutes.

Stir in black beans, corn, taco seasoning, and water. Cook 10-15 minutes until thickened and hot.

Serve with your choice of taco toppings.

Grilled Ranch Chicken Sandwiches

Sorry, no picture. These sandwiches were so yummy that I forgot to take one before chowing down! This is a great summertime meal, they were delicious. Definitely something we will be trying again as they exceeded both of our expectations.

Grilled Ranch Chicken Sandwiches
Source: Betty Crocker
Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
1/2c ranch dressing
2-3 green onions, chopped
2tbs mayo
2tbs fresh parsley, chopped
hamburger buns
tomato, lettuce, cheese, onion, etc. to top sandwiches

Directions:
Stir together 1/4c ranch dressing and chopped green onions. Add chicken to mixture and turn to coat. Marinate 1-2 hours in refrigerator.

Cook chicken on hot grill as normal. Meanwhile, mix together 1/4c ranch dressing, 2 tbs mayo, and parsley in small bowl.

Spread mayo mixture on buns, add cooked chicken, and top with whatever you like. Enjoy@

Grilled Marinated Chicken

I love grilled chicken. Especially when it has been marinated. I enjoyed this marinade very much. It added a nice bit of flavor, without being overpowering.

Source: allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1/2c brown sugar
1/2c balsamic vinegar
1/2c soy sauce
1/4c olive oil
2tbs Worcestershire sauce
2tbs sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2tsp ground black pepper

Directions:
Whisk together the brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and pepper until the sugar has dissolved.

Place thawed chicken in marinade and let sit in refrigerator for 2-4 hours. Grill as normal.

Chicken Enchiladas

I am the worst picture taker of food ever. :( Oh well, these were very very yummy and I will definitely be making them again.

Chicken Enchiladas
Source: Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices
Ingredients:
1 jar salsa verde
1/4c cilantro sprigs
1/4c parsley sprigs (I omitted)
1tbs lime juice
2 cloves garlic
2c chopped cooked chicken
3/4c mozzarella cheese
6 flour tortillas

Directions:
Heat over to 350. Grease rectangular baking dish.

Place salsa, cilantro, parsley lime juice and garlic in blender or food processor. Blend on high about 30 seconds, until smooth. Reserve half of the mixture.

Mix remaining sauce mixture, chicken, and 1/4 c of cheese. Spoon evenly among tortillas and roll tortillas around the filling. Place, seam side down, in baking dish.

Pour reserved sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkles with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until hot.

Pasta with Bacon, Cheese, and Tomato

Yum! This is a weight watches recipes that I stole from another blog. I have to say, it is pretty darn good and very versatile. You can change up the cheese, pasta, and veggies in this dish fairly easily to fit your tastes. For us, it was perfect the way it was and with some pieces of baked chicken thrown in. A very good, healthy one dish meal. I cut the recipe below in half (except for the bacon) and it was a good amount for my husband and I to share.

Pasta with Bacon, Cheese, and Tomato
Source: Stephanie Cooks
Ingredients:
2 c uncooked pasta
2 tbs flour
1 c milk
4 center-cut bacon slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c shredded Gruyere cheese (I used mozzarella)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 c chopped fresh basil (I omitted)
3 c baby fresh spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes
3 tbs Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to directions, drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, place the flour in a small bowl. Add milk gradually, whisking until well blended.

Cook bacon in a medium saucepan. Remove from pan and finely chop.

Drain excess grease. Add garlic to the pan, saute 30 seconds. Add milk and cook until thick, about 4 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the Gruyere and seasonings, stir until well combined.

Add pasta, bacon, spinach, and tomatoes. Stir until spinach wilts slightly. Top with Parmesan.

Chicken Stir Fry

This is one of the easiest and tastiest healthy meals. If you're short on time and don't want to hit the unhealthy drive thru try some stir fry.

Chicken Stir Fry
Source: Modified from Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices
Ingredients:
8oz chicken breast, cut in to bite sized pieces
1 bag frozen snap pea stir fry veggies
1 c frozen broccoli
1/2 c stir fry sauce

Directions:
Spray skillet with non stick spray. Cook chicken until no longer pink. Add veggies and stir fry sauce. Stir fry until veggies are tender crisp. Serve over rice.

Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe from the Crock Pot Lady Exceeded my expectation. I changed it to fit our tastes and the only thing I will do differently next time is add more filling. The recipe below reflects how I made it.

Ingredients:
For the filling:
1-2 chopped up boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bag frozen peas and carrots
1/2 bag frozen corn
1 tbs onion powder
canned cream of chicken soup
2 tbs milk

For the topping:
2 c biscuit mix
3/4 c milk

Directions:
Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Place cut up chicken, veggies, spices, soup, and milk in crock pot. Mix up.

Mix together biscuit topping in separate bowl. Spread over filling mixture.

Cover and cook on high 3-5 hours or low 6-7 hours. My crock was just about half full so I can home at lunch and set it to cook 4 1/2 hours on low. It came out perfectly.

Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Yum yum yum! These will be making a regular appearance on our menu. I made Matt's breaded and kept mine "naked" without the breading to save on calories.

Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Source: I honestly don't remember so if this is your recipe please let me know!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts cut into tenders

1/2 c Panko

1 c Bisquick

salt and pepper, to taste

1 egg

Franks Red Hot buffalo wing sauce

Directions:

Preheat over to 450. cover baking sheet with foil and grease foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large Ziploc bag combine Panko, Bisquick, salt, and pepper. Close bag and shake up to mix.

Beat egg in a small bowl. Dip chicken pieces in egg and then place in bag of Bisquick mixture. Close up the bag and shake up until the chicken is well coated.

Place chicken pieces on baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes. Flip chicken pieces and bake for another 7 minutes or so depending on the thickness of the chicken.

In a bowl, pour buffalo sauce. Dip cooked chicken in sauce and coat evenly. Place back on baking sheet and cook another 3 - 5 minutes, until done.

To make the chicken "naked" skip the breading step and season the chicken with salt and pepper. It's that easy and turns out really well!

Fettucini Alfredo

I realize this picture isn't too appetizing. But, trust me, this was very very very good! A bit runny. Actually, a lot runny but it tasted delicious. Next time, I think I may cook the pasta in the sauce to soak up some of the liquid. I added a few baked chicken tenders seasoned with salt and pepper to the dish for some protein. We both loved it so we will be making it again in the near future.



Fettucini Alfredo with Baked Chicken Tenders
Source: Tyler Florence
Ingredients:
1 pint heavy cream (I used half and half)
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Freshly cracked black pepper
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (I omitted)
Fettucini

Directions:
Heat heavy cream over low-medium heat in a deep saute pan. Add butter and whisk gently to melt. Sprinkle in cheese and stir to incorporate. Season with freshly cracked black pepper.

In a large stockpot, cook pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Quickly drain the pasta and add it to the saute pan, gently toss the noodles to coat in the alfredo. (I think this is where I made a mistake because I cooked the pasta according to the package. Next time I will cook it like these directions.)

Transfer pasta to a warm serving bowl. Top with more grated cheese, chopped parsley, and cooked chicken if desired. Serve immediately.

Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Oh Crock Pot Lady, how I love thee. You have made dinner on nights I am in class much more budget and waistline friendly with all your wonderful crock pot ideas. This soup was very good although next time I will soak the beans a bit longer and blend up some of them before serving to thicken up the broth as was suggested.



Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup
Source: The Crock Pot Lady
Ingredients:
1lb chicken
1c dried black beans (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
4c chicken broth
1c sliced mushrooms (I omitted)
1c frozen corn (I used almost a whole bag since we really like corn)
1 jar prepared salsa (16 oz)
1 1/2tsp cumin (I used chili powder since I don't keep cumin on hand)
1/2c sour cream (to stir in at the end)
shredded cheddar cheese, avocado slices, cilantro (all optional, I used just cheese)

Directions:
I used a 5 quart crockpot. The Crock Pot Lady says you will need a 4 quart or larger.

If you know you are going to make this the night before soak the black beans in enough water to cover and another 2 inches overnight. In the morning, drain the water and rinse the beans. (I did this and think they could have used a bit more soaking)

If you don't have super hard water or live in a super high altitude, you can quick soak the beans by pouring boiling water over them and let them sit for an hour or two.

Drain and rinse the beans. Add to the crockpot. Put in the chicken, and add the broth and salsa. Pour in the corn and mushrooms, and add the cumin. Stir, but don't disturb the beans---let them stay at the bottom of the pot, closest to the heating element.

Cover and cook on high for 9 hours.

If you are using beans you soaked overnight, canned beans, or pre-cooked beans, you can cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5--similar to normal soup-cooking time. (I cooked on low 7 hours and will cook it the full 8 hours next time)

If you'd like to thicken the broth (I did not do this but will next time), you can use your immersible blender to blend a bit of the beans and chicken. If you don't have one, scoop out 2 cups of the soup and carefully blend in your traditional blender. Stir the mixture back into the crockpot.

Stir in the 1/2 cup of sour cream before serving, and garnish with shredded cheese and avocado slices.

Chicken Salad

There's this little restaurant in downtown Springfield that Matt and I like to go to for lunch. It's called the Feed Store and its specialty (in my opinion) is chicken salad. It is the best chicken salad I have ever tasted, hands down. I love it. I only get it about once a month though because it is a little pricey. I sure do look forward to that once a month trip though.

I decided that I wanted to try to make my own chicken salad. I don't know much about it so I winged it. I think I did a pretty good job. It's not as good at chicken salad form the Feed Store but Matt really enjoyed it so I consider it a keeper.


Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
1/2 c Mayo or miracle whip
2-3 tbs sweet relish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Season chicken breast with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked.

Let cool. Shred with fork or in food processor until desired consistency is reached. (I did this in a food processor because I like the chicken pieces to be really really small.

In a bowl, mix chicken, mayo, and relish together. Salt and pepper to taste.

Stuffed Buffalo Chicken

Matt loves buffalo chicken. When I say loves I mean LOVES. A lot. So when I saw this on Carrie's blog in my google reader, I starred it and saved it for a day I wanted to tell Matt how much I loved him. It worked because he really enjoyed this dish. If you are a buffalo chicken fan you NEED to try this recipe! Oh, and trust me, it's easier than the name makes it sound.



Stuffed Buffalo Chicken
Source: Carrie's Sweet Life originally from Love Deliciousness
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1/2 c Blue Cheese crumbles (I replaced with shredded colby jack cheese)
3/4 c Ranch Dressing
1/2 c Franks Red Hot
1/2 c Panko Bread Crumbs
1/3 c shredded colby jack cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Spray baking dish with Pam.

Mix ranch dressing and franks red hot, marinate chicken for desired amount of time. I did for about 35 minutes.

Cut slit in the side of chicken breast and stuff with blue cheese crumbles.

Dip into franks/dressing mixture then dip in bread crumbs.

Bake in prepared pan for 35 minutes. Turn oven up to 400 and top with shredded cheese.

Bake until done through.

Chicken Stuffed Shells

I stole this recipe from Cook Like a Champion, one of the blogs I follow. It was originally stolen from Annie's Eats. I modified the recipe slightly since I knew that making the entire thing would turn out to be WAY too much food for us. I also don't have a food processor big enough so I just stirred by hand. Also because, I only had half the amount of ricotta on hand ;-P. Next time, I think we will try this without the chicken but with a meat sauce instead. Even so, it was very yummy and made enough for dinner for and leftovers for lunch tomorrow for both Matt and I.

Chicken Stuffed Shells
Ingredients:
About 30 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (slightly more than 1/2 box)
3 cloves garlic
1 chicken breast, cooked and finely shredded
15 oz part skim ricotta cheese
1/6 c Italian breadcrumbs
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp dried parsley
3/4 tsp dried basil leaves
1/6 c half and half (I used 2% milk)
1 jar pasta sauce
Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375*

Cook pasta shells according to package directions and drain. Separate onto a cutting board or cookie sheet to prevent from sticking together.

Combine ingredients garlic through half and half in bowl and stir until combined. Add more salt and pepper if necessary, to taste.

Spoon enough sauce into baking dish(es) to cover the bottom.

Fill the cooked shells with the ricotta mixture and place open side up in a prepared baking dish.

Spoon as much of the remaining sauce over shells as desired.

Bake covered with foil for 15-20 minutes, remove foil and continue baking for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

*If freezing extra shells, to cook from the freezer, thaw in refrigerator overnight and bake as directed above.

Lemon Chicken Tenders

Ever since I was little, I had loved the taste of lemons. Lemon candy, lemon desserts, lemonade, even so far as sucking straight on a lemon. It wasn't until recently, however, that I found the joy of cooking "real food" with lemon. This is a very easy dinner to make that doesn't require many ingredients, or any real skills. So, if you are wondering what's for dinner tonight, make this.

Ingredients:
Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Lemon pepper seasoning
Breadcrumbs
Egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400*

Line baking dish with foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Beat egg in small bowl.

In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs and lemon pepper seasoning to taste.

Cut chicken into 2 inch. tenders. Dip tenders in egg and then in breadcrumb mixture. Lay in prepared pan.

Bake 10 minutes. Turn tenders over and bake another 10 - 15 minutes until done.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Another fabulously easy and fabulously yummy dish! I love my crock pot and I love this recipe.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast
1 jar (about 1 1/2 c.) salsa
1 can black beans
1 1/2 c. frozen corn
Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Combine chicken, salsa, beans, and corn in crock. Cook on low for 7-8 hours of high for 4-6 hours. Mine cooked about 9 hours on low and was perfect.

Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese.

Buff Chick Lasagna

Matt loved this. Me, I though it was ok. That could be because I am coming down with a nasty cold and all I want to eat is soup and meatloaf. I think it will be a great thing to make for game night though. This lasagna for the guys and something else for the girls. We will see.

For the recipe please visit the AMAZING A Year of Crock Potting Blog