Chicken Fried Rice

Fried rice is one of those dishes that I've tried to make several times and something was always "off".  I realized that using freshly cooked rice was making my rice gooey and mushy.  It never had the same quality as you'd get in a restaurant, but I decided to try one more time.  It turned out great!  I made the rice a few hours before (because I forgot to make it the day before) and refrigerated it for a while before making the recipe. 

I made this recipe even easier by cooking up the chicken the day before and chopping the veggies before hand.  I had everything ready to go and to be thrown together and it made it a cinch to whip this up and enjoy!

Chicken Fried Rice
Recipe adapted from Relish!

Ingredients

• 1 c. quick-cooking long grain rice - precooked the day before and refrigerated.
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
• 1 T. vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 green onions, trimmed and chopped
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 T. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 3/4 c. chopped carrots
• 1/2 white onion, chopped

Directions

• Heat skillet to medium and add oil.
• Add eggs, just as whites begin to set, stir to scramble.
• Add green onions, white onions and ginger;  cook 1 minute.
• Add rice, carrots & bell pepper; cook 2 minutes.
• Stir together soy sauce, sugar and broth - add to skillet.
• Add chicken and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder (if desired), cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Yes, another soup recipe!  This was so packed with flavor and just the right amount of spice, it was perfect for an unseasonably chilly day like we had today.  The recipe was by no means difficult and made the house smell fantastic.  I debated over using premade tortilla strips or frying up my own and I'm glad I chose to fry my own.  They only took a few minutes and were delicious!  My husband is a fan of spicy foods and he gave this one a "thumbs up" and said I can make it again any time.  I'm not as big of a spicy food fan, but this soup was spicy enough to make you sniffle, but didn't make your mouth burn, so it was just right!

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Spicy Crisps

Recipe courtesy of Relish!

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 3/4 c. beef broth
• 1 c. chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder, plus more for spicy crisps
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 10 oz. Rotel tomatoes with chilies, undrained
• 4 6-inch corn tortillas
• 4 T. canola oil

For garnish

• 2 avocados, chopped
• 1/2 cup cheese
• sour cream

Directions

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
• Drop in the chicken breasts and boil for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. 
• Drain chicken in colander and let cool. 
• Shred or cube the meat. 
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. 
• Add olive oil and sauté onion and garlic in oil. 
• Pour into the medium pot you used for chicken. 
• Add beef and chicken broth, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, jalapeno(to taste), salt, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes and chicken. 
• Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• In the skillet, heat the canola oil until hot. 
• Cut tortillas in narrow strips and fry. 
• Sprinkle with salt and a little chili powder. 
• When done, place on paper towels. 
• Place half of the strips in bowls. 
• Fill with the hot soup. 
• Garnish with more tortilla strips, avocado slices and cheese. 

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Taquitos are one thing I have never attempted to make...I didn't want to mess with frying them up, dealing with the lingering oil smell and residue in the air, the mess.  I found this recipe for baked taquitos that really lived up to the hype.  They came out perfect.  Crispy and so flavorful. My husband raved.  I had one more than I'm wanting to admit.  However, it is a fairly healthy version of taquitos so it's not the worst thing in the world when you go to reach for that third crispy, creamy tube full of goodness, right?!?

Creamy Chicken Taquitos
Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients

• 3 oz. cream cheese
• 1/4 cup taco sauce
• 1 T fresh lime juice
• 1 t cumin
• 1 t chili powder
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1 small can chopped green chiles
• 3 T chopped cilantro or 1 T dried cilantro
•  2 T sliced green onions
• 2 C shredded cooked chicken
• 1 C grated Asadero (Quesadilla) cheese
• small flour tortillas
• kosher salt
• cooking spray

Directions

• Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil & lightly coat with cooking spray.
• Mix cream cheese, green chiles, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder & taco sauce.
• Stir to combine & then add cilantro & green onions.
• Add chicken & cheese & combine well.
• Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft, between damp paper towel.
• Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.
• Roll it up as tight as you can.
• Place seam side down on the baking sheet. 
• Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet & make sure they are not touching each other. 
• Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray & lightly sprinkle some kosher salt on top (optional).
• Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp & the ends start to get golden brown.

Baked Parmesan Romano Chicken

I'm always looking for different ways to prepare chicken.  It's such a versatile ingredient, yet it can get boring very easily.  The red wine vinegar really gave this chicken it's boost of flavor and turned out to be very tasty!  The best part of this recipe is that it only uses 1/4 tsp. of salt and you can lower the amounts of cheeses to reduce the sodium content further without losing much flavor.

Baked Parmesan Romano Chicken

Recipe courtesy of Relish!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 garlic cloves, divided
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup Romano cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper  

Directions

• Whisk together oil, vinegar, salt, red-pepper flakes, oregano & half of the garlic cloves in a baking dish. 
• Add chicken to marinade in dish, turning each piece to coat. 
• Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours. 
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees 
• Stir together breadcrumbs, cheeses, parsley, pepper & remaining garlic in a medium bowl. 
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil & coat lightly with cooking spray. 
• Dredge each chicken piece in breadcrumb mixture to coat; shake off excess. 
• Transfer to prepared baking sheet. 
• Bake chicken until breadcrumbs are golden & chicken is cooked through, 30-35 min. 
• Using a spatula, loosen chicken from sheet before serving. 

Lemon-Rosemary Chicken Meatballs

Do you ever just look at a recipe and think "I HAVE to make that?"  Well, that's what happened when I saw this recipe for Lemon-Rosemary Turkey Meatballs over on The Daily Dish, a wonderful low-sodium lifestyle food blog.  I only had ground chicken on hand, but these turned out SO good.  Light, packed with the bright flavor of lemon and the rosemary flavor was carried throughout the dish in both the meatballs and the sauce.

I'm not going to lie, when I first began cooking and eating low-sodium, I could tell a big difference.  All I craved were the salty foods I once ate without a care in the world.   With recipes like this, I didn't even miss all that salt AT ALL.  Everyone talks about eating low-fat, low-calorie, etc...but there are significant health benefits to just simply watching your salt intake daily!

Lemon-Rosemary Chicken Meatballs
Recipe adapted from The Daily Dish

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, cut into smaller chunks
• 2 large cloves garlic, smashed & peeled
• 1 t. freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 T. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 1/4 t. dried rosemary, divided
• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 3/4 c. salt free breadcrumbs
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 t. black pepper
• 1/4 c. flour
• 2 t. olive oil
• 2 c. low sodium chicken broth
• 4 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 T. unsalted butter

Directions

• Place onion, garlic & lemon zest in a food processor. 
• Add 1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary & pulse until the mixture is finely chopped but NOT mushy.
• Transfer mixture to a large bowl & using clean hands, add in the turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmesan & pepper, mixing until combined. 
• Pinch off 2 tablespoons at a time and shape into meatballs, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. 
• Place flour in a shallow dish and roll the meatballs to lightly coat. Reserve the remaining flour.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 
• Once oil is hot, add meatballs & cook, turning once or twice, until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the meatballs from the pan, place on a plate & set aside.  
• Add about 1/2 c. of broth to the pan, increase heat to medium-high & cook, scraping up any browned bits, until almost evaporated, about a minute. 
• Add the remaining broth & bring to a boil. 
• Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and return the meatballs to the pan along with the remaining rosemary. 
• Cover & cook until the meatballs are no longer pink in the middle, about 10 minutes.
•  Remove the meatballs to a plate & set aside.  
• Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high & cook until reduced to 1 cup. 
• Whisk lemon juice & 1 tablespoon of the reserved flour in a small bowl, mixing until smooth.  
• Add the flour mixture to the sauce along with butter. 
• Simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened. 
• Strain sauce through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Serve immediately.

Champagne Chicken

This was the main dish to my early Valentine's Day Champagne-themed meal.  This was awesome!  We both loved it and the plates were definitely cleaned!  The sauce was rich and a combination of sweet & savory, which we both really enjoyed.  We'll be making this again, it was a beautiful presentation and was a very elegant meal which was also easy!

Champagne Chicken
Recipe courtesy of The Rookie Chef, originally from Recipezaar

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1.5 cups champagne
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp ground rosemary

Directions

• Flatten chicken & dust with the flour, salt & pepper
• In a large skillet, melt butter & olive oil together over medium heat
• Add chicken & saute 5 minutes, turn over & add the champagne. 
• Continue to cook for 12-15 minutes
• Add the cream & rosemary & cook until thickened
• Remove chicken & place on plate. Pour sauce over chicken & enjoy!

Chicken and Rice

My mom's Chicken and Rice growing up was one of the best comfort food there is...that's what I was going for in looking for a recipe.  I found this one from Campbell's and thought it sounded right.  It was good, but wasn't exactly what I was expecting.  The rice turned out a tad on the dry side and though the chicken turned out pretty flavorful, it just wasn't IT.  I will be asking my mom for her recipe and this time, I won't lose it.

One Dish Chicken & Rice Bake
Recipe courtesy of Campbell's Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup  (I used 98% Fat Free)
• 1 c water
• 3/4 c uncooked regular long-grain white rice
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

• Stir the soup, water, rice, paprika & black pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish.  Top with the chicken.  Season with additional paprika & black pepper.  Cover with foil.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through & the rice is tender.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This is another "what do we have in the house" type of meal, but it turned out to be a great meal!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 2 large chicken breasts, boiled and cut into small cubes
• 3/4 package of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c. mild cheddar cheese, shredded, plus more for topping
  
• 1/2 c. Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
  
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 6-8 large flour tortillas
• 1 can enchilada sauce of your choice

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Mix chicken, cream cheese, cheeses, pepper, chipotle, garlic powder and cumin until combined.
• Place a layer of the mixture on the side third of a tortilla, top with a little bit of cheese, then roll it tightly and place seam-side down in a pan.
• Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas.
• Pour enchilada sauce evenly over all tortillas and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.
  

Lemon Feta Chicken

My friend Rachel at work raved about this low-cal meal she made with Feta cheese....anything with Feta is perfect with me and healthy to boot!?!  Awesome.  She even drew me a post-it note picture of how it should look and the ingredients.  Thus, I present Lemon Feta Chicken!  :)  Thanks Rach!  This was so easy and flavorful, coming together so quickly!  My husband and I loved it! 

Lemon Feta Chicken

Recipe courtesy of my friend, Rachel

Ingredients

• Thin cut chicken breasts
• Juice of half of one lemon
• Lemon pepper seasoning, to taste
• Feta Cheese, about 2 tbs. per piece of chicken

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish
• Season with lemon pepper seasoning.
• Pour half the lemon juice over pieces.
• Top each piece with 2 tbs. crumbled Feta cheese.
• Pour the rest of the lemon juice over each piece.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

*One 3 oz. skinless chicken breast, 2 tbs. of Feta, lemon pepper seasoning and lemon juice = about 157 calories, according to SparkPeople.com

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rolls

I've been meaning to make Lasagna Rolls again for a while, since it has been such a big hit in the past, but wanted to put a new spin on it.  I had some chicken and Alfredo sauce on hand, so this recipe was then born!

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rolls

Recipe inspired by Giada DeLaurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 lb. chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
• 4 oz. softened cream cheese
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped fine
• 1 cup white mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese, plus more for topping
  
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tbs. fresh chopped Italian parsley
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 8-10 lasagna noodles, cooked as directed and cooled slightly
  
• 2 cups Alfredo Sauce, homemade or jarred

Directions

•  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
•  In a mixing bowl, mix the chicken, cream cheese, spinach, mushrooms, cheese, salt, pepper, parsley & garlic until combined.
• Spread a ladle or two of Alfredo sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
  
• Lay out one lasagna noodle on cutting board, spread about 1/4 cup of the mixture along the noodle and roll up from one end to the other.  Lay the roll seam side down in the Alfredo sauce.
• Repeat with remaining noodles and filling, laying each in the sauce.  
• Top with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until heated through and cheese is browned slightly on top.

Easy & elegant meal

I am a huge Food Network fan...I watch most shows on there with few exceptions and I watched every episode of this season's Next Food Network Star. The winner, Melissa d'Arabian had me hooked when she showed an easy 4-Step Chicken and her individual Potato Gratins! Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to catch her new show yet, but I know I really liked her presentation on the NFNS, where she gave plenty of kitchen tips for the busy person.

Overall, this recipe is a HIT. It was easy, while I couldn't find my muffin tin (it's MIA apparently!), I used ramekins for the Gratin and they turned out wonderfully. They came together so easy and while they baked, I got everything ready for the chicken dish. The chicken was very flavorful, I took the advice on the Foodnetwork.com website and only used 1 lemon instead of 3...it was very lemony with one, I wouldn't use 3. My husband and I absolutely loved the Gratin, it looked elegant and tasted amazing. I will definitely be making this again!!!

Flexible 4-Step Chicken - Rustic Lemon-Onion Chicken
Recipe courtesy of Melissa d'Arabian, The Food Network

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced thin or pounded (I used tenderloins)
  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (I added this)
  
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

• Season chicken with dried thyme & salt & pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat & add the oil. Dredge the chicken in flour, add to the hot oil & saute until cooked through. Set chicken aside to rest on plate tented with foil.
• In same saute pan, over low heat, add onions & fresh thyme & cook until aromatic.
• In a measuring cup, measure broth & add the lemon juice. Turn the heat up to high & deglaze the pan with the broth mixture until starting to reduce.
• Remove the pan from the heat & finish the sauce by whisking in butter. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.
• Spoon the sauce over the chicken & serve.

Individual Potato Gratins
Recipe courtesy of Melissa d'Arabian, The Food Network

Ingredients

• Vegetable spray
• 2 large russet potatoes, roughly peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spray 8 muffin tins with vegetable spray.
  
• Layer potato slices, cheese & onions into each muffin cup.
  
• Season with salt & pepper and top each gratin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.
  
• Cover with foil & bake for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil halfway through cooking time.
  
• Invert gratins onto plate & serve.

Chicken, Broccoli & Cheese Casserole

I am convinced there is no good or flattering way to photograph a casserole!

My husband has made this recipe several times in the past for dinner. It's easy, quick and very tasty. My mom made something similar to this when I was growing up, Chicken Divan, and I always looked forward to whenever she made it.

I made a few tweaks to the recipe, as I was out of mayo and I like it a little "saucier" and with more curry flavor...and of course, most dishes in this house have garlic added, regardless if the recipe calls for it or not.

Chicken, Broccoli & Cheese Casserole
Recipe adapted from Cooks.com

Ingredients

• 2 c. chicken, cooked and cut up
• 10 oz. fresh broccoli florets
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 can milk
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 2 minced cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp. black pepper
  
• 8 oz. sharp cheese, grated

Directions

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Put broccoli on bottom of casserole dish; put cut up chicken over broccoli.
• Put next 6 ingredients plus 5 ounces of cheese in bowl, spoon & spread over chicken.
• Sprinkle remaining cheese over casserole. Heat until hot & bubbly, around 1/2 hour.
• Place under broiler until golden on top.

Garlicky Chicken Parmesan

I was searching for a different Chicken Parmesan recipe and came across this recipe on Clara's blog. I am a huge garlic fan, so I was drawn to this version! I didn't follow it her recipe, but was definitely inspired by it! Thanks Clara!

Garlicky Chicken Parmesan
Adapted from I Heart Food For Thought

Ingredients

• 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 tsp. pepper
• 1 1/2 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 c. of your favorite spaghetti sauce
• 1 c. of fresh or shredded Mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil, sliced finely
• Pasta of your choice to serve along side

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Mix olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper in a shallow bowl or dish.
• Pour breadcrumbs and Parmesan into a second shallow bowl or dish and toss to mix.
• Dip the chicken in the oil mixture, then dredge in the bread crumb mixture to coat both sides.
• Lay chicken in an oven safe glass baking dish.
• Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• Pull chicken from oven and top each piece with a layer of spaghetti sauce.
• Place a layer of fresh basil on each piece as well and top with a good layer of Mozzarella.
• Return to oven and bake for another 10-12 minutes until cheese is melty and beginning to brown.
• Serve atop your favorite pasta (I used angel hair.)

Chicken with Mustard Marscapone Marsala Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Giada DeLaurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup dry Marsala wine
• 1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish
• 12 ounces dried fettuccine

Directions

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.

While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tablespoons of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Since I was having some family over today, I wanted to make sure everyone had something that they liked...I know my husband and his brother love hot sauce and Buffalo wings, so this dip was my first choice...I am not a fan of chicken wings or hot sauce, but I will admit that this was an awesome dip! It wasn't TOO hot, but it definitely had a kick to it. I doubled the recipe below, but it reflects the original measurements.

Franks Redhot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Recipe courtesy of Frank's Hot Sauce Website

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing (I used 1/2 c. blue cheese & 1/2 c. ranch)
1/2 cup any flavor FRANK'S® REDHOT® Sauce
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese (I used mozzarella & cheddar mix)
2 cans (9.75 oz. each) SWANSON® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained (I used 1/5 lbs. of chicken breast, boiled, shredded & cooled)

DIRECTIONS: (I just mixed all ingredients in one bowl, then poured into the baking dish - topped with cheese)

1.HEAT oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth.
2.MIX in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot Sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken.
3.BAKE 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables.

Greek Chicken Pasta

Yet another dish from my own little head....after thinking about what we had in the house and thinking about Greektown (we're headed there tomorrow for the WINGS Round 2 home game!!!), I came up with this little dish. It had tons of flavor and was very good!! Paul raved about it and had 2 helpings. I kept my second helping to take for lunch tomorrow. Needless to say, I won't be in the mood for Greek food tomorrow for dinner, but that's ok.

Greek Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 lb. thin chicken breasts
• 3 tbs. olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oregano
• 1/4 Red Onion, sliced very thin
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced fine
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed
• 2 tsp. flour
• 1 cup milk
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4-1/2 box of pasta of your choice, I used angel hair
• Feta cheese crumbles

Directions

• Heat a large pan over medium and add olive oil. Season chicken with salt, pepper and oregano and cook through. Remove from heat and chop into thin slices, set aside.
• Meanwhile, set water to boil and begin cooking pasta per directions.
• In the same pan, add the red onion & garlic, cook for about 4 minutes until soft. Add the lemon juice and scrape up the browned bits left over from the chicken.
• Whisk together the milk and flour, then slowly pour into the pan to form your sauce. Season with more salt, pepper and oregano to taste. Let simmer and thicken. Once thickened, add chicken strips back into sauce to reheat through.
• Drain your pasta.
• Before adding pasta to the pan, throw in the spinach and add pasta on top, letting the hot pasta wilt the spinach for about 3 minutes.
• Stir until everything is combined and portion into bowls.
• Top with crumbled Feta cheese. Enjoy!

Cheez-It Crusted Chicken

After seeing this recipe in various forms lately a LOT, I decided it was time to try it...and I am glad I did! It turned out to be very moist from the sour cream mixture and crunchy on the outside, with a good flavor from the Cheez-It crushed crackers! I served this with Roasted Asparagus & Broccoli.

Cheez-It Chicken
Recipe adapted from Vintage Victuals

Ingredients

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (I used regular milk)
• 1 1/2 cups Cheez-its, crushed in a baggie or using a food processor

Directions
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease an oven-safe dish that your chicken will fit in comfortably. Rinse your chicken breasts & pat them dry with paper towel. Season on both sides with salt and pepper, to taste. In a shallow dish, combine the sour cream & milk/buttermilk (I also added salt, pepper & paprika to this mixture). Arrange the crushed Cheez-Its in a second shallow dish. Dip each chicken breast into the sour cream mixture, then into the Cheez-Its so that they adhere and form a crust. Place the chicken in your prepared baking dish, leaving about 1" between the breasts.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

Who wants another boring chicken breast again? Not me! I had some chicken in the freezer and with no ideas for dinner, I searched and found this recipe on Recipezaar.com. The reviews were good, what the heck?! I would give this one a shot.

I am glad I tried this...the only change I would make next time would be to decrease the oregano just a touch...but I'm not a big oregano fan anyway. The flavors were very good, the chicken was moist and extremely flavorful! We'll be having these again!

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos
Recipe courtesy of Recipezaar.com

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 lime, juice of
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 6-inch flour tortillas
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup shredded lettuce
1/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup salsa

Directions

Saute chicken in a medium saucepan over medium high heat for about 20 minutes.

Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic and oregano.

Simmer for an extra 10 minutes.

Heat an iron skillet over medium heat.

Place a tortilla in the pan, warm, and turn over to heat the other side.

Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Serve lime chicken mixture in warm tortillas topped with tomato, lettuce, cheese and salsa.

When life hands you bacon...

Oh wait, that's not how that saying goes...but Paul went grocery shopping and did hand me bacon! So, I decided to improvise a recipe, which ended up being pretty darn good! And of course, Paul was in heaven, because according to him, bacon makes anything better!

Chicken, Bacon & Mushroom Pasta
Recipe courtesy of me

Ingredients

• 1 lb. thin chicken breasts, cooked and cut into strips
• 1/2 lb. bacon, diced into small pieces
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 cup milk, divided
• 8 large button mushroom caps, sliced
• 1 shallot, diced finely
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
• 3 tbs. flour
• 1 tbs. parsley flakes (or fresh)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Pasta or rice of your choice, prepared

Directions

• Heat heavy pan (I used Dutch Oven) over medium-high heat.
• Add bacon and cook until crispy.
• Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towel.
• Leave bacon drippings in pan, add shallot & cook for 2-3 minutes until soft.
• Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
• Add mushrooms and cook for 2-3 min.
• Add beef broth, scraping up bacon bits on bottom of pan.
• In a separate bowl, mix flour with 1/4 cup of milk, whisking so it's lump free.
• Add the remaining 3/4 cup of milk to the pan, stirring in, then stir in the milk/flour mixture.
• Let mixture all come up to a low, slow boil and thicken.
• Season with salt & pepper to taste and add 1 tbs. parsley.
• Add 3/4 of the drained bacon bits & chicken strips into the sauce.
• Let it mix and all warm back up.
• Serve over your favorite pasta or rice, topping with remaining bacon bits for garnish.

Parmesan Chicken

Thanks to the Barefoot Contessa, this meal came together wonderfully and was a great meal to serve to my brother-in-law who was over visiting us! It was really easy to make and I like the fact that it is made with quick cooking, thin chicken! I'll definitely be making this again.

One note, I just made the chicken portion of this recipe, I didn't use any greens or the vinaigrette.

Parmesan Chicken
Recipe courtesy of Food Network, Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• Unsalted butter
• Good olive oil
• Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
• 1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions

• Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.
• Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.