Crockpot Chicken Curry

Crockpot Chicken Curry
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
16 thin slices peeled fresh ginger (about 1 ounce)
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt
2 packages green peas (10 oz. each)
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup toasted cashews (optional, for serving)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (optional, for serving)

In a 5-quart slow cooker, toss chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, coriander, and cumin to coat. Season with 2 teaspoons salt. Cover, cook on high setting until chicken is fork-tender, about 4 hours (do not uncover while cooking).

Stir in coconut milk and peas; cover, cook until peas are heated through, about 20 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a large bowl; shred with fork. Return to pot; toss with sauce.

Serve over rice, garnish with 1/2 cup toasted cashews and 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, if desired.

I've never had curry and I don't like coconut so I wasn't sure how I would like this. There was a bit too much cumin for me but it was very good! Never made anything like this before. I halved this recipe and it was plenty for our family.

Link: https://www.marthastewart.com/341088/chicken-curry

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
10-12 oz penne pasta
2 cups coocked and chopped chicken
3/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/3 cup ranch dressing
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Melt butter in sauce pan, add flour and stir to combine. Once you have your roux, add milk. Stir constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in garlic salt, onion powder and ranch dressing until well combined.

Add chicken, bacon and cheese to sauce and stir evenly to combine.

Bake in 9x13 baking dish at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

I really enjoyed the flavor of this dish! It's always good to try new flavors and this did not disappoint. I wasn't sure how well this would turn out but I loved it!

Kid-friendly Chicken Lo Mein

Kid-friendly Chicken Lo Mein

1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T minced fresh gingerroot or 1-1/2 tsp dry ground ginger
3 T canola oil, divided
2 medium carrots, julienned
1 medium green pepper, julienned
8 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained
3 green onions, sliced
1 T cornstarch
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup of your favorite teriyaki sauce 
1 T sesame seeds
Cilantro, for garnish- optional

Drain pineapple, reserving 1/3 cup juice (discarding remaining juice or save for another use); set pineapple aside. In a large skillet, cook the chicken, garlic and ginger over medium heat in 2 tablespoons oil for 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in the carrots, green pepper and pineapple. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in spaghetti and onions. 

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, soy sauce, reserved pineapple juice and remaining oil until smooth. Gradually add to chicken mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in teriyaki sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds & fresh cilantro.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Declicious recipe! And a good change up from the things we normally eat. I used half a bag of frozen peas and carrots. My mom has used cabbage in it and that was delicious. Broccoli would good in this too. You could easily adapt this to whatever you've got in the pantry.

Onion Baked Chicken

Onion Baked Chicken
3 lbs. chicken parts
1 T. vegetable oil
1 T. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. paprika

Brush chicken with oil. Sprinkle spices evenly over chicken. Bake at 375F for 45 minutes or until cooked through.

Delicious! I've never really cooked with Paprika before, except for deviled eggs. It's got such an amazing warm flavor! There is so much flavor in this chicken. I could eat so much of it.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Casserole

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Casserole

2 1/2 cups uncooked pasta (not quite the entire box- I used shells, but any kind would work! Whole wheat works great too)
2 cups broccoli (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cooked and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 (16 oz) jar Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare pasta as directed on package. Remove from heat, drain water, and dump pasta in a large bowl.
If using fresh broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces and place in a microwaveable-safe bowl. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Microwave for 3-4 minutes or until it reaches your desired crunchiness. If using frozen broccoli, prepare according to directions on package. Once finished cooking, place broccoli in the bowl with the pasta.
Dump the chicken, alfredo sauce, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese into the bowl and mix with the pasta and broccoli. Season with garlic salt, basil, and salt and pepper.
Spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick cooking spray and dump pasta/chicken mixture inside.
In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, melted butter, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese together. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling.

I feel like this meal had a lot of potential. I always think I'm going to like bottled Alfredo sauce but I never do. Homemade would be so much better. I also used canned chicken and fresh would have been better. But I LOVED that bread crumb topping. Yum! 

Tip: When I made the Ranch pasta salad I cooked double the amount of pasta and stored half in the fridge until I made this casserole.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Casserole Recipe

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 Recipe total Servings 15
Calories 335
Total Fat 13.77 g
Saturated Fat 7.53g
Monosaturated Fat 4.32g
Polysaturated Fat 1.92g
Total Carbohydrate 26.2 g
Fiber 0.7 g
Sugar 0.5 g
Protein 22.5 g
Cholesterol 87.48 mg
Calcium 219 mg
Iron 2.17 mg
Potassium 227 mg
Sodium 330 mg
Zinc 1.7 mg
Thiamin 0.29 mg
Riboflavin 0.3 mg
Niacin 5.7 mg
Folic Acid 52.6 Ug
Vitamin B6 0.3 mg
Vitamin C 10.8 mg
Vitamin B12 0.9 Ug
Vitamin A 388 IU
Vitamin E 0.26 mg
Vitamin K 1.9 Ug
Points 8
Points Plus 8
*The nutritional values are determined by the total ingredients divided by the number of servings for each recipe. Serving sizes may vary. The formula used here for points was obtained from public sources and is an empirical match to Weight Watchers calculators, but it is not an "official" Weight Watcher's calculator.

Read more at http://myrecipemagic.com/recipe/recipedetail/chicken-and-broccoli-alfredo-casserole-recipe#Z0vabyoJbXl2fud8.99

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Mini Chicken Pot Pies
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 of a 16-oz. package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
Flour
1 package (12 oz.) refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Spray 10 muffin-pan cups with non-stick cooking spray. Stir chicken, soup and vegetables in a medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle the flour on a work surface. Roll or pat the biscuits to flatten slightly. Press the biscuits into the bottoms and up the sides of the muffin-pan cups. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture into each biscuit cup. Lightly press the chicken mixture down so it's level. Top each with about 2 teaspoons of cheese.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown and the cheese is melted. Let the pot pies cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

These were so good! So easy to make and just look how cute they are! I told the kids they were Chicken Muffins. Anything is good if it has the word muffin in it and they liked it too.

Chicken Fried Chicken with Country Gravy

Chicken Fried Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
oil

Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets heavy-duty plastic wrap and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Season with half the salt and pepper. Set aside.
Combine cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and remaining salt and pepper. In a separate bowl whisk together milk and eggs. Dredge chicken in cracker crumb mixture; dip in milk mixture; dredge in cracker mixture again. Pour oil to a depth of 1/2-inch in a large skillet. Over medium high heat fry chicken 5 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove to wire rack in a cookie sheet. Keep chicken warm in a 225*F oven.

Country Gravy
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups milk
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat  until browned, about 5-10 minutes. Gradually stir in milk so that no lumps form, and continue cooking and stirring until thickened. If gravy becomes too thick, add more milk.

This has always been one of Sean's favorite meals and tonight was my first time making it. It's so satisfying to cook food you know people will love.  And then watch them enjoy it. Ahhhh. The chicken was delicious! That crust is awesome and the chicken was moist and tender on the inside.
Unfortunately I burned the gravy a little. I used the left over oil from frying the chicken and I think that was a mistake. It was already over cooked and it just didn't turn out. So, for the gravy I would suggest using a new batch. of oil. Next time I'll know how to make it better!

I got the recipe for the chicken here. The gravy recipe wasn't making sense to me so we found a different recipe for that here.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced or shredded
5 cups chicken broth
1 C chopped carrots
1 C chopped celery
1 C potatoes, diced
½ C chopped onion
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 C evaporated milk or ½ C whole milk
8-12 oz uncooked egg noodles (homestyle)
Salt and pepper to taste

 

Heat broth, then add carrots, celery, potatoes, onions, and noodles. Simmer until veggies and noodles are tender. Add cream of chicken soup, milk, salt, pepper and shredded chicken. Simmer until heated through and ready to serve.

  This was so easy to make. A little bit of prep but nothing too terrible. I really liked that everything cooked in the broth and that it was a one-pot dish. 

 

I wasn't particularly fond of the taste of cream of chicken soup. I liked the creaminess of the soup but not sure that you really need 2 whole cans of soup. I think one would be just fine.

(this is for you, Katelyn) And for the chicken, by the way, I decided to roast it in the oven instead of boiling it. Mine always turns out chewy. Blech. Roasting was way better. Season with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, or until cooked through. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I use Italian Season, salt, and pepper)
1 egg, lightly beaten
12  chicken tenders fillets, about 1 1/2 pounds
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup bottled marinara sauce
1 cup shredded four-cheese blend
Cooked ziti (or spaghetti) and marinara sauce (optional)

1. Heat oven to 375F
2. Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish and egg in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken pieces in egg, shaking off excess. Coat with bread crumbs.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side. Remove to a 9x13 baking dish. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining chicken.
4. Spoon marinara sauce over chicken in dish. Sprinkle cheese over chicken. Bake at 375F for 10 minutes, until bubbly and cheese melts. Serve with cooked ziti and marinara sauce, if desired.

This isn't a picture that I took. But it's close to what it really looks like. Every time I make this I never remember to take a picture because it's too delicious! I just want to eat it! This is a favorite of Sean's too. Not so much for our kids, sadly. But we had ours tonight with spaghetti noodles and it was delicious and comforting. Mmmm.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 egg
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil + 1 quart for frying

Combine flour, 2 T. oil, salt, pepper, and egg. Add water gradually to make a think batter. Stir to blend thoroughly. Add chicken pieces and stir until chicken is well coated.
Heat oil in deep skillet or wok to 360 degrees F. Add chicken pieces one at a time with a fork and fry for 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove chicken and drain on paper towels. Make sweet and sour sauce and pour over chicken. Serve with rice.

I LOVE this meal. So much. The kids liked it too. I knew they would since that sauce is so sweet and delicious. Oh, I don't have a thermometer so I couldn't tell what the temp of the oil was but I kept the burner at medium high and that seemed to be right. This would be good with pork too. Seriously. So good.

Oh, and we had a lot of extra sauce. Maybe halve it for this amount of chicken.

Soda Pop Marinade for Chicken

Soda Pop Marinade for Chicken
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
6 ounces canned soda pop, any flavor freshly opened (I like Sprite)
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon prepared horseradish 

Combine marinade ingredients in large ziploc bag; add 2-3 pounds chicken to bag and seal.
Marinate 2-24 hours in refrigerator, turning bag occasionally.
Remove chicken from bag, grill, and enjoy!

Malibu Chicken

Malibu Chicken

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (pound 'em thin)

6 slices cooked ham

6 slices swiss cheese

1 egg

1/4 cup flour 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup fine dry breadcrumb

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon water 

1 teaspoon mustard

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Stir egg and 1 tablespoons water together with a fork. Combine flour, salt and pepper and coat each chicken piece, dip into egg mixture and then coat with breadcrumbs making sure to press crumbs in firmly. Heat oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat.Brown chicken 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Place browned chicken on cookie sheet or oven proof platter, top each piece with a slice of ham and slice of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees, until cheese melts. For the dipping sauce combine mustard and mayonnaise.

Chicken Ranch Tacos

Chicken Ranch Tacos
3 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1 pkt. taco seasoning -chicken or beef (I used about 1 Tablespoon of my homemade Taco seasoning.)
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
taco shells
lettuce
cheese
Ranch dressing
tomatoes
etc...

Heat a skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken & warm it for a few minutes. Sprinkle on the dry taco seasoning. Do not add any water! Heat for 5-7 minuted until all heated through & powder is stuck to the chicken.

Add Ranch dressing, heat an additional 2-3 minutes to warm through.


Serve in taco shells with all the fixings you love - plus an extra squirt of Ranch!

Um, wow! This was so amazingly good to me. A great change up from beef - which has gotten a little boring for me. I wasn't sure how taco seasoning and ranch dressing would go together but it is fantastic!! I didn't get a picture of the made-up taco, though. I was too busy enjoying it!

Chicken Alfredo Roll-Ups

Chicken Alfredo Roll-Ups 



9 Lasagna noodles, cooked, rinsed, and drained

2 ½ cups Alfredo sauce

2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

Oregano
Garlic Salt   
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice
1 10-oz. box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of liquid (optional)

Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and pour ½ cup Alfredo sauce over the bottom of the pan.

 

Spread about 2 Tbs. Alfredo sauce over each noodle. Sprinkle oregano and garlic salt on top of sauce. Take 1/9 of the shredded chicken and spread it out evenly over each noodle. Add approx. 3 Tbs. cheese. To roll up, start at one end and roll the noodle over the toppings. 

 

Place the roll-ups in the pan seam-side down. Pour the remaining Alfredo sauce over noodles and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted on top.

 

 

I really enjoyed this recipe. I added some frozen spinach for a little veggie. From the comments I saw on the blog where I found this recipe, I would have to agree that there was not nearly enough sauce. It was pretty dry. Definitely double the sauce. You can use the sauce that is on the blog (below) or bottled sauce would be fine too. I wanted to do my low-fat recipe but didn't have all the stuff for it. Next time. Also, she suggests that this serves 3 (3 rolls each.) I had two and it was a little much for me. I'd say this serves 4-6.

 

The Best Garlic Alfredo Sauce

 ½ cup butter

2 ounces cream cheese

2 cups heavy cream (or substitute half and half)

2 teaspoon garlic powder

½  tsp. fresh minced garlic

salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp dried oregano

⅔ cup parmesan cheese

In a medium to large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add fresh minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the cream cheese and whisk to smooth and melted. Whisk in the heavy cream.

Season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and whisk frequently until sauce thickens, around 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese and when melted, remove from heat and serve.

Makes 2 ½ cups

 

Chicken Noodle Gravy

Chicken Noodle Gravy

Boil 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts in just enough water to cover the chicken, until tender and cooked through. Remove chicken and strain broth to remove all those floaties. Return broth to the pan and bring back to a boil. You may want to add more water and some chicken bouillon (1 t. per cup of water) for more flavor. Cook some homemade egg noodles in the broth until tender (8-10 minutes). To thicken the broth, stir about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch diluted with a little bit of cold water into the boiling broth and noodles. Stir until thickened. Shred the cooked chicken and add to broth. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Mmm!! This was a favorite of mine that my mom used to make. When I asked her for the recipe she said there was no written down recipe so she just said "some" for the amount of ingredients. I did the best I could at getting the portions right. This recipe does require time and effort but it's totally worth it!

When I told Sean about this amazing meal that I grew up on I never realized how strange it may have seemed to eat noodles and mashed potatoes together until I saw the look on his face. It does seem a little strange but while we were eating Sean said, "This is such a weird combination but it works!" He seemed to like it and I was, of course, in heaven reminiscing about my childhood and my mom :)

Oh, also, for the cornstarch mixture I ended up adding it like 3 times which made it a total of 6 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with enough water to make it the consistency of milk.

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Herb Ricotta

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Herb Ricotta

1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
4-6 slices of bacon


Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.

In a bowl, season the ricotta with salt and pepper. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, basil and thyme. Place some of the ricotta mixture on each butterflied piece of chicken and fold the breast over and wrap with 1-2 slices of bacon.

Heat an ovenproof skillet and add the chicken bundles and brown over medium-high heat, turning once, for 4-6 minutes. Transfer to the oven to cook through, 12-15 minutes. Serves 4

This was such a great change up from plain old chicken breasts. And not very difficult either. I would recommend getting everything laid out and prepared before you butterfly the chicken so that you don't have to touch everything with yucky chicken hands and wash your hands 10 times.

This is a Rachael Ray recipe and I did have to make a few changes. You can get the original recipe here. Enjoy!

Also, if you don't have an ovenproof skillet I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem to transfer the chicken to a foil-lined baking dish/sheet.

Chicken Cordon Bleu (Lion House Recipe)

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 whole chicken breasts, halved
8 thin slices cooked ham
4 slices Swiss cheese, cut into fingers about 1 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch thick
Salt
Pepper
Thyme or rosemary
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup cornflake crums

Skin and bone chicken breast halves. Place each half between sheets of plastic wrap, skinned side down, and pound with meat mallet to about 1/8-inch thickness.

On each ham slice place a finger of cheese. Sprinkle lightly with seasonings. Roll ham and cheese jelly-roll style, then roll each chicken breast with ham and cheese inside.

Tuck in ends and seal well. (Tie rolls if necessary, or fasten edges with toothpicks.) Dip each roll in melted butter, then roll in cornflake crumbs, turning to thoroughly coat each roll.

Place rolls in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400F for 40 minutes, or until chicken is goolden brown. Serve with Cordon Bleu Sauce, if desired. Makes 6-8 servings.

Cordon Bleu Sauce:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Blend ingredients and heat. Serve over chicken rolls, if desired. Makes about 2 cups, 8 servings of 1/4 cup each.

WOW!!!!! This was SO good!! It was totally worth the work, which, by the way, wasn't that difficult. Just time consuming. Don't be afraid to try this one!!

Cheese Nibs Chicken

Cheese Nibs Chicken
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cups sour cream
2 cups Cheese Nibs cracker crumbs
melted butter (I used 2 tablespoons)

Spread sour cream on each chicken breast. Roll in cracker crumbs. Place chicken in a baking dish or on a cookie sheet and pour melted butter over chicken.

Bake @ 350F for 45 minutes.

Yum! We really liked these. I didn't have any cheese nibs, though, so I used some Goldfish crackers. We have a TON of those. It wasn't quite as flavorful as the cheese nibs would have been but it was still good. TIP: line your baking dish or cookie sheet with foil. Makes clean up SO much easier.

I served these with fried zucchini coins which Brandon ate and LIKED!

Chicken Rolls

Chicken Rolls
2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 can chicken (approx 1 lb. cooked and cut up chicken)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 T butter, softened
Garlic salt
Green onion

Combine ingredients and spoon 1-2 tablespoons into crescent rolls. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Serve with 1 can cream of chicken soup + 1 can milk as gravy. Serves 8 (2 rolls per person)

Crock pot Orange Chicken

Crock pot Orange Chicken

Boneless chicken breasts, chopped into small chunks

1/3 cup flour

Olive oil

½ T. salt

1 t. balsamic vinegar

3 T. ketchup

6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate (thaw or microwave for 45 seconds)

4 T. brown sugar

·         In a bowl mix orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt and ketchup.

·         Pour flour in a small bowl. Cover chicken chunks in flour and shake off excess.

·         Pour a small amount of olive oil in a skillet and brown the flour-covered chicken.

·         Place chicken in crock pot and cover with sauce mixture, stir.

·         Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3. Serve over rice.

 This was a little too strong for my liking but was also very delicious. And not as complicated to make as I thought it would be. The only thing I didn't have was the orange juice. If I make this again I will probably dilute the orange juice a bit.