Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos

 

My whole family LOVED this recipe from Six Sisters Stuff here.  I used some leftover chicken from a Rotisserie Chicken and some leftover Prime Rib Roast .

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

4 cups meat (chicken, beef or whatever you have leftover)

12 slices of back cooked and crumbled

2 cups of cheese (their recipe called for Monterey Jack, but I only had Colby Jack- what I always have)

1/2 package dry Ranch dressing mix

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Salt, and pepper to taste

20 flour tortillas

cooking spray

salt for the top

Mix filling and fill and roll tortillas tightly.  Place seam side down on cookie sheet.  I make 10 at a time and save the rest of the filling for the next night.  They are best freshly cooked.  Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.  Cook at 425 for 15-20 min.  Tastes great dipped in Ranch, Sour cream, or Salsa Ranch (equal parts of ranch and salsa).

Grilled Lemon Herbed Chicken

We have tried this chicken once this summer and it was SOOOO good!!  Use FRESH herbs to get the full effect.  I really recommend growing them in your own garden if possible.  Herbs are so easy to grow and you don’t need much room.

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

3 or 4 cloves minced garlic

1 TBSP grated lemon zest

1 TBSP chopped fresh rosemary (just the little needles- don’t chop up the stem)

1 TBSP chopped fresh thyme

1 TBSP chopped fresh oregano (leaves only)

1 handful fresh basil leaves chopped fine

1 TBSP chopped fresh Italian parsley (flat leaf parsley)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4-6 chicken breasts

Put the chicken in a plastic bag.  Pour marinade over the chicken and mix in the bag.  Put on plate and place in fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight (turning every so often).

Grill to 165 degrees.

I find that if you turn your grill up really high to warm it up for about 10 min.  Place the meat on it and turn it down to Med-Low (I also like to use Grill Spray so it doesn’t stick as easy).  The hot temperatures at first with seer the chicken and keep the juices inside while it cooks at a lower temperature so it doesn’t dry out.  Watch it closely so it doesn’t dry to a hockey puck state.  Take it off just as it hits 165 or even just before.  It continues to cook for a few minutes after you remove it from the heat.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

This isn’t so much a recipe as it is an idea that is easy and my kids LOVE

I am in love with the roasted chickens at Sam’s Club.  They are big, juicy, and only cost $4.98.  An uncooked whole chicken cost more than that at most grocery stores.  To get one already cooked to perfection is divine in my book.  I usually try and pick one up every time I shop there.  There is so many things you can do with them.  My one piece of advice is that you remove the chicken from the bone while the chicken is still warm.  It is much easier to do warm than after the chicken has been refrigerated.  For this dish I bought it in the morning, de-boned the chicken and stored it in a Tupperware until I made dinner.

Shredded Chicken from a Roasted Whole Chicken

3/4 –1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

1/4 cup of water

Add all to a skillet, mix, cover to get warm.  Serve on warm toasted buns.  The ones pictured above are on rolls since they are easier to eat for the kids, but they are great on toasted hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls.

Sun Dried Sausage & Penne

This is just one of my made up recipes that we have really enjoyed. It's one of those easy dishes that can be thrown together in 20 minutes and everyone really likes.

1/2-3/4 of a box of Penne noodles (or whatever pasta you like)

5 chicken sausages ((At Sam's Club they have these sausages seen in the picture- several different flavors- our favorite is Chicken and Apple) If you don't have a Sam's, any klebasa type sausage will work- Chicken ones are a lot more healthy and lower in fat and calories)

2 large tablespoons of Sun Dried Tomato Basil Pesto (you can get this -seen in the above picture) at any grocery store next to the pasta sauces. I also use the regular pesto too and it's great as well.

Slice the sausages on an angle and fry in a skillet, dump in the cooked noodles and stir in the pesto. Serve with a fresh spinach salad and you have a great meal.

Black Bean n' Pumpkin Chili

This is a new recipe I found and altered to my families taste. Everyone really liked it. Great for this time of year.

1 med. onion chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBSP olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans black bean, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cup cooked turkey or chicken, chopped up
1 can (15 oz) canned pumpkin
1 can Italian style tomatoes, undrained, blended
1 cup frozen corn
2 tsp dried parsley flakes
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil. Add to soup pot with broth, beans, pumpkin, Tomatoes (put them in the blender and blend them so they aren't chunky and then add them to the pot) corn, chicken and seasonings. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about an hour- until thickened. YOu can also do this in the crock pot on low for 5 or 6 hours.

Wild Rice Casserole

This is such an easy recipe. I got the idea from one on the internet and then adjusted it to the ingredients that were easily available to me. I took a picture of the rice and sauce I use so that you would know what I bought. I just got them at Walmart (the only place to buy groceries around here).

4-6 chicken breasts or boneless thighs, boiled and chopped up

1 box Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice cooked according to package directions

1 can French cut green beans

1 jar Bertolli Alfredo sauce

Combine all the ingredients and spread in a 8x12 pan. Crumble a package of Ritz crackers over and melt 1/2 stick butter/margarine and pour over crackers. Cook at 350 for 40 - 50 min. Everyone really likes this recipe- even Alyssa who is not even 2 yet (however, she is an excellent eater)

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

This is a great recipe!! The kids eat this one good. You can use the leftover mushroom top from the Turkey Burger or use a regular 8 oz pkgs. I found this recipe on the back of the chicken bag once and have altered it some (my hobbie). My version is better than the bags.

4 chicken breasts (1 lb). If they are monster breasts -like size DD- I cut them in half so they cook better.
1/2 lb mushrooms (or the leftover Portobello mushroom top from the Turkey Burger recipe below)
6 TBSP butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 3/4 cups chicken broth ( I use 1 3/4 cup water and 2 tsp chicken boullioun granules)
2 TBSP half n half
Spinkle of nutmeg

Brown chicken in 3 TBSP butter in a large skillet. Remove. Add mushrooms and rest of butter to drippings. Cook until tender. Remove. Stir in flour to the melted butter and drippings (this is a roux). It will be a thick paste. Add broth, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Wisk until it blends together and becomes a thickened sauce. Add half n half. Return Chicken and mushrooms to the pan. Spinkle with a little nutmeg. Cover and cook on low for 20-30 minutes. Meat should be 165 degrees. Stir a few times to make sure it isn't sticking. Serve sauce over rice or mashed potatoes.

Cowboy Cheesy Chicken

This is by far our favorite chicken recipe. Brady says it's as good as a restraunt's. I don't make it that often because it's not exactly low fat- but it's worth all the flavor sometimes. We had downed most of the pan before I got my camera. I love to make this when company comes and Jessica and Cameron were visiting us so it was a must make recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do. It's great with the pillaf recipe that can be found in the main dish section under Apricot chicken. The sauce in the bottom of the pan is great on the rice.

Marinade:

1/2 cup dijon mustard

1/2 cup honey

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 8oz pkg fresh mushrooms

2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

1/2 pkg bacon cooked (not to crispy because you bake it in the oven too) (cut the pkg in half so the bacon stips are half length and use that half of the pkg)
parsley

Combine marinade and put 1/2 cup marinade in a plastic bag with the chicken. Save the rest of the marinade. Refridgerate the chicken for 2 hours (sometimes I don't get it in the fridge that long and it still tastes great). Drain and discard the marinade from the chicken. Brown chicken chicken in a little bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with remaining marinade. Place mushrooms in pan that you browed chicken in and cook until tender. Sprinkle over chicken. Spinkle cheese over chicken and place bacon pieces over chicken. Spinkle with parsley and cook at 375 for 20-25 min. Server with lemon rice pillaf. SO YUMMY!!

Sun Dried Pasta Bows

This is a great Pasta recipe that has been made into a LOWER FAT version. Just perfect for January, seeing that most people try to diet in the month of January so I though I'd post this one. My kids love this one, first because the pasta is shaped like bows and second because they love olives.

1 Box Pasta Bows (Walmart Brand- I'm not sure how many ounces the box is)
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1/2 cup boiling water (I just steal some from the pot of boiling water for the pasta)
1 chopped shallot (if you don't know what a shallot is- it's like an onion, but way smaller and pink. You can get them near the onions and garlic, they usually come in a net package with 3 or 4 together)
2 small cloves or 1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
2-3 TBSP sliced olives (about 1 small can- depends how much you like olives)
2 TBSP prepared pesto (you can get this in a jar near the tomato sauces and alfredo sauces. You'll wonder what to do with a whole jar, but pesto is great on sandwiches and even better on the Alfredo chicken pizza)
1/4 tsp pepper
Salt to taste
3 tsp flour
1 cup fat-free half-n-half
3 cooked chicken breast, sliced thin
shredded Parmesan cheese
toasted pine nuts (optional)

Cook past according to direction on package. In a small bowl, combine boiling water and sun-dried tomatoes; cover and let stand 5 minutes. In a large skillet, cook shallot and garlic in oil until shallot is translucent. Stir in broth, olives, pesto, pepper and salt to taste one minute longer. Combine flour and half-n-half until smoth, stir into pan. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened.

Drain pasta and tomatoes; add to creamy mixture. Stir in Chicken; heat through. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese and pine nuts.

Chicken Stroganoff

This is one of our favoite dishes. It is so good!!! A new twist on traditional stoganoff. You can even use leftover roast chicken or turkey (good for the upcoming season).

4 bacon strips
1 lb chicken, cut up
1 med. onion
2 cloves garlic
1 pkg fresh mushrooms (the original recipe calls for 2 cans mushrooms drained, but I detest canned mushrooms.)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp paprika
pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream
2 TBSP flour

In a skillet (I use my big electric skillet for cooking the entire recipe) cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels and drain some of the drippings, reserving 2 tbsp, set bacon aside. When cool enough to touch, cut up into small pieces Cook the chicken, onion, garlic, and mushrooms until chicken is no longer pink. Add the broth, salt, paprika, pepper and bacon back in. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Combine flour and sour cream until smooth; add to the skillet. Bring to boil, cook and stir for 1 minutes or until thickened. Serve over egg noodles or rice, whichever is your families preference.

Easy To Freeze:
Freeze leftovers or freeze a whole batch for a busy day. Another time saver is to buy a roast chicken (already cooked) and remove it from the bone and chop it up.

Birdnest Soup

It's fall and that means SOUP time!! I love soups and this is my all time FAVORITE soup. A little background on the soup: I got the original recipie from my friend Megan Eborn (thanks Megan) and have altered it to our families liking. I have shared it with a few families here in Arkansas and it has become their families favorite soup. I finally made it again when my parents were here so I'd have a picture to show. However, the picture doesn't do it justice. I should have taken one in just a bowl and not the stockpot. It's a fabulous soup non the less.

1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 TBSP olive oil
1 15oz can Itailian Style Stewed Tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp oregano
salt & pepper to taste
1 15 oz can White Northern Beans
1 15oz can Black Beans
2 chicken breasts cooked and cubed, or 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cups medium shell pasta

Add the onion, garlic and oil- saute. Add the tomatoes (my husband and kids don't like chunks of tomatoes so I pop the can of tomatoes in the blender for a few spins and blend it up smooth), I use the blender to measure 6 cups of water so I wash out all the blended up tomatoes and then add 6 tsp of chicken boullion granules. Add the bay leaves, oregano and salt and pepper. Add the beans. (If you use chicken thighs, you can pop them into the pot now too, take them out before you add the pasta, let it cool enough to handle so you can cut it up and add it back to the pot after the pasta is cooked.) Let the pot low boil with the lid on for 10 minutes. Add the shells and cook until tender. Add your chicken and remove the bay leaves.
Serve with warm cresent rolls

Just a note about how the soup got it's name. I used to call it Italian Pasta and Bean Soup (kind of long for a 4 year old). When Kayla was 4, she decided that the shells looked like birdnests with little eggs in them (the beans get stuck in the shells). She started calling it Birdnest Soup- so we have stuck with it. It's cute. My girls love this soup and it hearty and good for you. Hope you enjoy it this fall!!

Easy to Freeze:
Freeze leftovers for a busy day. Thaw and reheat.

Mmmmm Pizza!!

I love this pizza recipie because it's different from the norm' and it's got lots of hidden spinach in it. This kids love it and we gobble this up in one night. Plus, it's so easy and fast to put together and bake!

Chicken Alfredo Pizza
1 pizza crust, any way you like to do it: make your own or buy one prepared. I use the prepared ones in the package
Beretolli Alfredo Sauce. Open a jar and use however much you like on your pizza.
1 Chicken breast cooked and cubed
Fresh spinach leaves, chopped up small. Use however much you like
Shredded Mozzerella Cheese
Shredded Parmesan Cheese (not the stuff in the can)
After you've assembled you pizza I like to sprinkle it with a little salt, pepper, garlic salt, and Italian Seasoning (the kind with basil, oregeno, and stuff like that in it)

Cook according to the package directions on the pizza crust. Usually 450 for 10-12 minutes.
Enjoy!!

Apricot Chicken

I got this recipie from a friend in college and then found it in one of those ancient Emery County cookbooks. So, I guess it's an oldy but a goody. I mostly like it because it is so easy and it is easy to have the ingredients in the pantry on hand for those nights when you're not sure what to have for dinner. It puts together quickly and cooks fast.

4-6 chicken breasts
1 cup apricot jam
1 cup Catalina dressing
1 envelope onion soup mix

Mix all ingredients and pour over chicken in a casserole pan. Cook 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

I always serve this with Lemon Rice Pillaf; an old favorite from my mom. Here's the recipie for that too:

3 1/2 cups water
2 cups Long Grain Rice
4 heaping tsp. Chicken Boullion Granules (or 5 or 6 cubes)
3 TBSP. Lemon Juice
2 TBSP margarine

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil for 10 min. Cover and turn stove off. Let rice fully cook.

Chicken Rollups

This recipie is one of my family favorites. In fact, it is Kayla's favorite food. She asked for this for her birthday dinner- she asks for me to make this every year on her birthday. It is so versital too. It's nearly impossible to mess up (that is unless you burn it

2 chicken breasts cooked and cut up into small pieces or shredded
4 oz cream cheese (you can even use lite cream cheese or it is really good with chive & onion cream cheese
*if you use plain cream cheese it is good to add a little flavor to the filling by adding salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to your liking
1 pkg Refrigerator cresent rolls ( I always use the reduced fat ones)
Unroll them into rectangles(2 cresent rolls hooked together). Pinch the seam together and cut in half to make a square. Put about a tablespoon of filling into the center and fold up sides and pinch. Place on a cookie sheet

Cook at 375 for ~10-15 min. (check on them regularly- they'll be light brown when finished)

You can serve them with gravy over the top. The kids usually don't like the gravy, but Brady & I do. The gravy is just a can of Cream of Chicken soup undiluted warmed up.

The original recipie called for dipping the uncooked rollups in melted butter and then dipping them in Italian Bread crumbs. I stopped doing that because it was so messy and time consuming and they tasted great without it. Besides, the girls like to pick them up with their hands and eat them since they don't like the gravy on them and the bread crumbs would make a mess. You can do that if you like.

Another great variation to this recipie is to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey for the chicken and use leftover turkey gravy over the top. It's a great way to use up that enormous amount of turkey leftover (however, there's not usually much gravy left at our house).

Parmesan Garlic Chicken

4-6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup Gated Parmesan Cheese
1 envelope Italian Salad Dressing Mix
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

Combined all ingredients (except chicken) and blend. Dip both sides of chicken breasts in. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

*A variation of this recipie is to pour a bottle of your favorite spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish, lay the dipped chicken over the sauce and cover with Mozzerella cheese. Serve with noodles for an easy Chicken Parmesan recipie.

I love this recipie because it is so easy and you can have the ingredients in the pantry all the time for a quick I don't know "what's for dinner" night. You can serve it alone with other sides or as the Chicken Parmesan recipie. Hope you like it.