Chicken Pesto Lasagna

I love making my usual lasagna with sausage and ground beef.  It's made in our household at least once a month and the leftovers are gone within days!  I decided to press my good luck with lasagna and try something a little different.  This recipe really was delicious, but if you're looking for something healthy to make, this probably isn't the recipe to use.  The pesto and provolone cheese really made this dish stand out and the leftovers were just as fabulous.



Source:  What's Cookin', Chicago?

Ingredients:

1/2 package dried lasagna pasta sheets

2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 cup pesto sauce (homemade or store bought)
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried italian seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded provolone cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Cook the pasta sheets as directed on the package and allow to cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, pesto, cream cheese, and spices until fully incorporated.

Place a layer of cooked and cooled pasta on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with a light sprinkling of cheeses enough to coat.

Layer half of the chicken mixture over the cheese and top with a layer of more pasta.

Repeat layering with a sprinkling of cheese, chicken mixture and pasta.

Cover the top of the pasta with the remaining cheese and bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until cheese is melted and browned. Since everything is already cooked, baking will just meld the flavors and warm everything up. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Chicken and Dumplings

My husband had been begging me for months to make him chicken dumplings.  Honestly, I never really had homemade chicken and dumplings before so I had been kind of ignoring the request.  However, since he was so good to me this Christmas and bought me a beautiful Kitchen Aid stand mixer, I decided to finally grant him his request.  I actually was excited to make these, because one of my favorite cooking websites recently published the recipe.  This dish really turned out fabulous.  The dumplings were perfect in flavor and texture and the chicken was moist and flavorful.  My husband said that  was truly everything he hoped it would be and asked that I make it again in the near future.

Source:  Pioneer Woman, adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ cups All-purpose Flour
1 whole Chicken, Cut Into Pieces (cut Up Fryer)
Salt And Pepper
½ cups Finely Diced Carrots
½ cups Finely Diced Celery
1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
½ teaspoons Ground Thyme
¼ teaspoons Turmeric
6 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
½ cups Apple Cider
½ cups Heavy Cream

Dumplings:
1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
½ cups Yellow Cornmeal
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1-½ cup Half-and-half
2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley (optional)
Salt As Needed

Directions:

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge both sides in flour.

Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. In two batches, brown chicken on both sides and remove to a clean plate.

In the same pot, add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in ground thyme and turmeric, then pour in chicken broth and apple cider. Stir to combine, then add browned chicken. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

While chicken is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings: sift together all dry ingredients, then add half-and-half, stirring gently to combine. Set aside.

Remove chicken from pot and set aside on a plate. Use two forks to remove chicken from the bone. Shred, then add chicken to the pot. Pour heavy cream into the pot and stir to combine.

Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot. Add minced parsley if using. Cover pot halfway and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Check seasonings; add salt if needed. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Grilled Peach BBQ Chicken Wings

I subscribe to several cooking magazines, such as Cooking Light and Taste of Home.  I especially love Taste of Home because most of the recipes are so simple and delicious, a combination that I love!  For this recipe, my husband, who loves to grill, picked out this recipe.  I'll admit, I wasn't sure about pureeing peaches in barbecue sauce, but the end result was great.  It gave the sauce a wonderful sweetness.  I also really enjoyed the dipping sauce, which surprised me.  I'll admit, heating apple cider vinegar over the stove smells terrible, but the smell goes away and when the sauce cools, it produces a fabulous result. 

In other cooking blog news, I have an exciting little announcement to make in the next couple of days.  For the next 40+ days, my blog is going to take an interesting turn...stay tuned!

Source:  Taste of Home magazine, October & November 2010 issue

Ingredients:

2 cups store-bought barbecue sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided
2 peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped
Salt
Pepper
24 chicken wings, separated at the joint and tips discarded
1 cup peach jam
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot, or to taste
Scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced, for topping (I omitted this)

Directions:

In a food processor, combine the barbecue sauce and half of the garlic.  Add the peaches and process until finely chopped; season with about 1-1/2 tsp. salt and about 1/4 tsp. pepper.  Reserve 1/2 cup for basting.  In a resealable plastic bag, toss together the chicken wings and remaining peach barbecue sauce; refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the peach jam, vinegar, remaining garlic, hot sauce, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes; let cool.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to low.  Grill the chicken wings with the grill cover down, turning and basting occasionally with the reserved barbecue sauce, until cooked through, about 30 minutes.  Top with the scallions and serve with the peach jam dipping sauce.

Italian Spiced Chicken Bites

This recipe took so little time to make, it almost seems wrong on how amazing it tasted.  The chicken marinade was wonderful with a little extra heat that I always enjoy.  As I was eating these for dinner, all I could do was think about when I was going to make these next.  They can make an excellent appetizer for parties or even Sunday afternoon football games.  This recipe is a must-make!

Source:  Adapted from Jaime Cooks:  Endevours in Eating & Entertaining

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into roughly 1″ cubes
1 tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
½ cup Panko Italian Bread Crumbs (I used plain)
½ cup Plain Bread Crumbs  (I used Italian)

Directions:
 
Rinse and pat dry the chicken breast cubes.

In a bowl combine garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and olive oil in a bowl. Sprinkle over the chicken pieces and toss to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

After the chicken pieces have marinated, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix panko and plain dry bread crumbs in a bowl. Press marinated chicken pieces into the bread crumbs to coat completely.

Place on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and bread crumbs are golden brown. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I've been spending a lot of time on The Pioneer Woman website.  If you've never visited it before, it's a great site for cooks of all abilities.  If you're unsure about how she does a recipe, she offers wonderful step-by-step instructions with pictures.  When I found this recipe I knew I needed to try it!  I cooked this with my good friend, Stacy for a Saturday night dinner.  The overall taste was wonderful, and the leftovers were outstanding but next time I will make a few adjustments.  First, if you love heat and spiciness, add more of the Cajun spice.  A few extra teaspoons really kicks this up a notch.  Also, use a little less pasta and simmer the cream and chicken broth until it thickens up a lot more.  We felt that the sauce was a little too liquidy and we were getting it all over our clothes.  All in all, though, a great recipe that I will definitely try again for my husband with some minor adjustments.

Source:  The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
1 pound Fettuccine
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
½ whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
½ cups White Wine
1 cup Heavy Cream
Cayenne Pepper To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
Salt To Taste
Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and chow down!

Chicken and Veggie Tortellini Stew

Crock Pot day!  This was an exhausting weekend full of good times with friends so I wanted to make something that would not take much time out of my only relaxing day.  Although it's still summer, I felt like making a stew since I was only cooking for myself tonight.  My husband is out of town and isn't crazy for stews or casseroles so these next few days are for making those sorts of dishes!  This was a tasty meal and makes wonderful leftovers for later.  A must-try recipe for this upcoming cold season!

Source:  Pillsbury, 2009 Casserole Book

Ingredients:

2 medium carrots, sliced (about 3/4 cup)
2 cloves of garlic finely chipped
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 can (19 ounces) of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 3/4  cups chicken broth
2 cups of water
1 package (9 ounces) of refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
2 medium green onions, sliced (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon of dried basil leaves
2 tablespoons of shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
 
Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, layer carrots, garlic, chicken, and beans. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour broth and water over top; stir to combine.

Cover; cook on low heat setting for 6 to 8 hours.

Stir in tortellini, onions and basil. Increase heat setting to hight. Cover; cook 15 to 20 minutes longer or until tortellini are tender. Sprinkle servings with Parmesan cheese.

Cornish Hens with Rosemary and Thyme

Since starting this blog, I tend to spend a lot more time browsing at the grocery store while I am shopping.  One of my favorite areas to browse is the meat section.  I discovered the cornish hens a few months ago, but was unable to find a recipe that I wanted to use.  I finally found a recipe that also allowed me to use my new roasting pan.  Both the recipe and my new pan were fabulous because the hens were extremely tender and moist.  If you're unsure about trying Cornish hens, don't be afraid because they tasted like chicken to me!

Source:  Ashley's Little Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 Cornish Hens
Sprigs of rosemary
Fresh thyme
¼ cup butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Put fresh rosemary in the cavity of each hen.

Brush butter all over the skin of each Cornish hen (leave some butter for recoating throughout the roasting process).

Sprinkle thyme, salt and pepper and any other herbs you would like all over the outside of each hen.

Place the prepared Cornish hens in a roasting pan and roast for 45-50 minutes, or until cooked through, occasionally basting with leftover butter to keep skin from drying out.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

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I love having a little bit (sometimes a lot) of heat in my food.  This casserole was no exception and it was really fun to make as well!  This dish didn't photograph as well, so if the pictures aren't encouraing you to try this recipe, please ignore them!  Just think about the wonderful flavors that await!

Source:  Pink Parsley, adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied into halves (4 halves total)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp. minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1¾ cups chicken broth
5 cups tortilla chips, broken into large pieces
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Pat the chicken breast halves dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a 10-12 inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides (chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this point.) Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining oil, shallot, garlic, chipotle, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth, scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a simmer.

Stir in half of the tortilla chips. Nestle the chicken into the broth and cook over medium-low heat until cooked through (reading 160° F on an instant-read thermometer), about 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken pieces to a cutting board and shred into bite-sized pieces when it is cool enough to handle.

Return the shredded chicken to the skillet with the tomatoes, ½ cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the cilantro. Stir in the other half of the tortilla chips until they are incorporated and moistened.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and place the pan under the broiler until the cheese is melted and browning, about 2-3 minutes. Top with remaining cilantro and serve, allowing the casserole to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Whole Chicken with Spice Rub

Another great crock pot recipe!  I couldn't believe how flavorful the chicken was for a recipe that was so simple and didn't even include chicken broth.  Believe it or not, I had never bought a whole chicken before.  Maybe I have lived a sheltered life, but cooking a large chunk of meat has always intimidated me.  Thanks to one of my favorite kitchen appliances, not anymore! 

Source:  The Cooking Husband

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, 4-5 lbs.
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 onion, chopped

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the above minus the onion.

Rub spice rub onto the chicken. Put chopped onion in bottom of the crock pot. Add chicken to the crock pot and add no liquid at all!

The chicken will make it’s own juices. Put the lid on the crock pot and cook for 8 hours on LOW.

Herb-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Creamy Orzo

I had this recipe bookmarked for a couple months and today seemed as good a day as any to try it.  I really enjoy cooking with orzo, mainly because it's fun to eat afterwards.  My husband really liked the tastes, but he's not into eating "casserole" type dishes so he thought it was just okay.  I, on the other hand, thought it was quite tasty for being somewhat on the healthy side.  I will just have to make this when I am only cooking for myself and I have no problem with this!

Source:  Annie's Eats, adapted from Smells Like Home, adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

8 oz. orzo pasta, uncooked
2 chicken breasts, butterflied into halves (4 pieces total)
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. Herbes de Provence
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices
2 cups broccoli florets
½ cup heavy cream
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a saucepan of salted water to boil. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.

Season both sides of the chicken breast halves with salt and pepper. Sprinkle evenly with the Herbes de Provence. Heat the olive oil in a 12- or 14-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breast halves to the pan and cook about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallot to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute, until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes with juices and the broccoli florets to the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer over medium-low. Cover and let cook until the broccoli florets are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked orzo, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Mix until well blended and the cheese has melted. If necessary, add some of the reserved pasta water to smooth out the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Cheddar and Cracker Chicken

I love Ritz crackers and I tend to eat them by themselves as a snack.  When I found this recipe online, I knew that it was right up my alley.  It really turned out well and it made a simple meal taste like it had taken a lot longer to prepare.  The only thing I would do differently and use smaller chicken breasts because even though I pounded the breasts until they were pretty thin, the cooking time still took a lot longer and the cheese was a little overcooked.  Still a really good meal!

Source:  Joelen's Culinary Adventures, adapted from Real Simple

Ingredients:

16 buttery crackers (such as Ritz), crushed (about 3⁄4 cup)
6 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1-2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Heat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, scallions and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Pound the chicken to about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thickeness with a meat mallet. Dip the pounded chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.  (Mine took almost 30)

Chicken Pot Pie

I have been bringing a couple dinners to some close friends to help them with adjusting to life at home with their baby, who is also my great nephew.  He was born 3 1/2 months premature and recently came home from the hospital.  Both he and his parents have been so courageous during the time while he was in the hospital and I wanted to do whatever I could to help, even if it is just bringing dinners once in a while.  I wanted to bring them something that could easily be heated up, or frozen for another time.  I turned to my favorite source, Stephanie Cooks, and found a great casserole that was both easy to assemble and delicious.  Sorry for the shadows in the picture!  I had forgotten my camera and had to use my IPhone instead.

Source: Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients:

1 pound of chicken breasts, frozen or fresh
1 bag of mixed veggies  (I used carrots, corn, and greenbeans)
1 tube of 10 refrigerator biscuits
1 can of 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1 cup of chicken gravy
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375.

Place the chicken, cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth in the crock pot. Cook on low 5 hours or until the chicken is cooked, shred and set aside. Don't drain the chicken- you will use the gravy.

In a 9 inch pie dish combine the chicken and the gravy it is sitting in, the bag of frozen veggies, and the chicken gravy. Stir to evenly coat.

Open the biscuits and slice each biscuit into 4 pieces. Evenly distribute the biscuits over the chicken and veggie mix. Top with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the biscuits are golden and the gravy is bubbling.

Spicy Baked Chicken Fingers

I often look through the What's Cooking? forum on The Nest to get ideas for new recipes.  Many of the girls there talk about how Panko bread crumbs are much better and easier to cook with than just plain bread crumbs.  Before going to the forum, I had never heard of Panko.  Panko is a Japanese style bread crumb where instead of using the brown crusts, the middle white area of the bread is used instead.  After trying this recipe, I don't think I will go back to regular bread crumbs again.  Panko is so much crispier and has a fluffier taste. 

Source:  Christine's Cuisine, adapted from A Year in the Kitchen

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1 cup of flour
1 cup of Frank's Red Hot Sauce
2 cups of Panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
bleu cheese dressing for dipping

Directions:
 
In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. of oil and add 1 cup of the panko bread crumbs to skillet. Continue to stir until crumbs are a deep golden brown (but not burnt), about 7 minutes. Repeat with remaining 1 tbsp. oil and 1 cup of crumbs. Place in a shallow bowl until ready to use.

Put flour in another shallow bowl and hot sauce in another bowl. Season flour with salt and peppe
Dip chicken tenders in flour - shaking off excess. Then dip in hot sauce. Lastly - dip in panko and then place on a baking sheet.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20 mintutes (or until chicken registers 170 degrees on an instant thermometer).

Serve with blue cheese and additional hot sauce.

Chicken in Red Wine

I recently purchased a new cookbook that helps benefit a local suburban team that is walking for the upcoming Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  The team members submitted their favorite recipes and there were some really good ones in it!  I first decided to try a crock pot chicken recipe.  I often struggle with cooking chicken in it because it can dry out quickly.  My crock pot cooks a little fast so I shortened the cooking time an hour.  This was a simple tasty dish and it turned out great!

Source:  Hot Off the Rack - Cooking for a Cure (2010 edition)

Ingredients:

6 boneless chicken breasts
6 slices cooked, chopped bacon
1 (16 oz.) bag baby carrots
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 dried bay leaves
1 1/4 c. red wine
3/4 c. chicken broth
1 (16 oz.) package fresh sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. cold water

Directions:

Add all ingredients, except for mushrooms, flour, and cold water to crock pot.  Cook on low for 7 hours.  Add mushrooms and remove bay leaves.  Mix flour and cold water in a side dish and stir in crock pot.  Cook an additional 1/2 hour. 

Chicken Garlic Pizza

I'm not a big fan of store bought or delivery pizza, but I LOVE making it from (semi) scratch. I decided to avoid a red sauce pizza this time and found a great recipe for this pizza. The garlic butter was delicious, and can also be used in making garlic bread. The recipe called for only one chicken breast, but my husband loves extra chicken on everything when possible so I used 2 1/2 chicken breasts. This dish was really simple to make and delicious. I will definitely make this pizza again!

Source: Annie's Eats, adapted from AllRecipes

Ingredients:

1 chicken breastsalt and pepper

2 tsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. green onion, chopped

½ tsp. dried basil

2 roma tomatoes, sliced

¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro

½ c. ricotta cheese

¼ c. Parmesan cheese

pizza crust (I used the Pillsbury brand)

Directions:

Season chicken breast on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook chicken breast until browned on both sides. Cut into chunks and finish cooking until cooked through. In a small saucepan, melt butter with garlic, onion and basil. Pour into a chilled dish to cool and refrigerate until set. Preheat oven to 350°. Spread herb butter over crust. Arrange chicken on top, then dot with ricotta. Top with tomato slices, cilantro, and Parmesan. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Cheddar-Bacon-Ranch Chicken & Rice Bake

Ultimately, this dish turned out well and tasted great, but with using my oven, it was a long and difficult road to get to that point. It took a lot longer to cook the chicken and rice than the directions said. After about 45 minutes, the chicken was practically still raw so I removed the alumimum foil, drizzled some of the liquid over the chicken so it wouldn't dry out, and let it cook for another 25 minutes. Once the chicken was cooked thoroughly, I had to take the chicken out for awhile and continue cooking the casserole because the rice was not cooked all the way. When I was finished and the casserole was done, I cooked it for at least 35 minutes longer than I thought I would. However, everyone's oven is different so I still recommend cooking the casserole following the directions below. But if it's not ready, at least you know you have some options!

Source: Vintage Victuals

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice (white or brown)

1 10.5-ounce can of condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can of water

1 can of milk

1 1-ounce packet of ranch seasoning mix

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

4 medium-sized chicken breasts

2 cups cheddar cheese

6-8 slices of bacon, cut into 1″ pieces

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the rice, the soup, the water, the milk, the ranch seasoning, and the diced peppers. Stir until well combined. Place the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture. Cover the dish with tin foil and wrap tightly.

Bake for 45 minutes. In the meantime, lightly brown the bacon pieces over medium heat in a small frying pan. When you remove the chicken and rice from the oven, check the chicken to make sure it is cooked through (I like to use a meat thermometer for this). Then, sprinkle with the shredded cheese and the browned bacon pieces. Return to the oven for about 5-7 minutes so that the cheese melts and bubbles. Serve hot. Yield 4-6 servings

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

I have always been a big fan of Jambalaya but had never tried cooking it myself. I found a recipe off one of my favorite blogging sites, Stephanie Cooks. We have the exact same type of tastes and I try her recipes often. This was a another good one. It was simple to prepare, cook, very healthy, and tasted great. I will in the future try other types of jamabalya recipes that also incorporate Andouille sausage, but this was definitely a great recipe to start my jambalaya journey.

Source: Stephanie Cooks, adapted from Weight Watchers Online

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

8 ounces uncooked boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

2 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained

12 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp hot pepper sauce

4 cups cooked brown rice

Salt & pepper

Directions:

Add the oil to a large non-stick skillet. Add the onions and peppers, heat for about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.

Add the shrimp, cook about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and italian seasoning, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through.

Stir in the rice and hot sauce. Continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.

40 Clove Garlic Chicken

I'm always looking to try new recipes in the crock pot. This recipe is exactly what the recipe says. It requires 40 cloves of garlic. I thought this would be overpowering, but the flavor was perfect. It also had a little bit of heat in the rub because of the red pepper flakes. You can always alter the amount of red pepper depending on your preferences and the chicken will turn out fine. By the way, this is what 40 cloves of garlic looks like:

Source: Cuisinart

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken thighs (about 8 to 10), skinless, bone-in

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

40 garlic cloves, peeled

½ celery rib, sliced

½ cup sliced onion

¼ cup white vermouth or dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)

3 tablespoons chicken broth

Directions:

Spray the inside of the crock pot with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs, herbes de Provence, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. Make sure to coat the rub all over the chicken. Lay the chicken in the bottom of the crock pot. Layer the garlic, celery and onions on top of the chicken. Pour in wine and chicken stock. Set the crock pot on low 8 hours then serve.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

I was eating dinner by myself for this meal so I wanted something that was a little simpler. This was a good recipe to try because you can easily alter the amount of chicken and pasta. I actually added a little bit more pasta and chicken, but only because I wanted extra for lunches at work. This dish was very filling and tasty and it was fun to cook with pastina. If you don't have any pastina handy, you can use any other smaller type of pasta and the dish will turn out just fine. I also read a few suggestions to add a lemon pepper rub to the chicken before cooking it and adding it to the pastina.

Source: Giada de Laurentiis

Ingredients:

1 c. pastina pasta (or any small pasta)

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 c. cubed chicken breast (1 inch cubes)

1/2 c. diced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice

1 c. shredded mozzarella

1/4 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used dry leaf parsley)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 c. bread crumbs

1/4 c. grated Parmesan

1 tbsp. butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Place the mixture in a buttered 8 x 8 baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture, Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Chicken and Rice Stuffed Tomatoes

This is a new recipe I learned about a month ago that I have made two times already. It's easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and a really filling and tasty meal. I made six tomatoes and they were more than enough for my husband and I for dinner as well as some leftovers. I highly recommend this recipe.

Source: Things That Make You Go Mmmmmm

Ingredients:

6 large, ripe tomatoes
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
3/4 lb. ground chicken or cut up chicken breast
1 c. cooked rice
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking dish, large enough to accomodate the tomatoes, with non-stick spray.

Wash tomatoes. Cut off tops and scoop out insides into a bowl. Reserve.

In a non-stick skillet, brown chicken. Add onion. Make sure you break up the chicken into little pieces, it makes stuffing the tomatoes easier. Remove from heat.

Add rice and seasoning to the meat and onions. Take the reserved tomato guts and put into blender. Blend for a moment and pour back about 3/4 cup into the meat mixture. Mix well.

Stuff the tomatoes with the mixture; place tomatoes in baking dish. Top tomatoes with cheese then bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. (After 10 minutes of baking, I added extra mozzarella cheese to the tomatoes)