Chicken Pot Pie

• Pillsbury pie crust
• 6 TBS butter, softened
• 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1 TBS cornstarch
• 1 C milk
• small onion, finely chopped
• medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 C chicken broth (or 1 C water plus 2 chicken bullion cubes)
• 1 medium size russet potato, peeled and diced
• 2 medium size chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I like to use about 2 C shredded rotisserie chicken from Costco)
• 1/2 C frozen peas
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine 4 TBS of softened butter with flour in a small bowl; set aside.
In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in milk; set aside.

In a large saucepan or pot, add 2 TBS butter and saute onion, carrot, and celery over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.

Add broth and potatoes, and bring to a boil. 
Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.

Add butter and flour mix, and bring to a gentle boil while constantly stirring.

Pour in the milk and cornstarch mixture, and bring to a boil.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in chicken and peas.
Remove from heat and prepare Pillsbury pie crust.

Pour the filling on top of the first layer of pie crust; cover with remaining layer of crust and seal the edges of the dough.
Make about 4 slits through the dough.

Bake at 400 for about 35-45 minutes, until the pastry is gold brown.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

*Serves 8-10

• 12 oz Rotini Pasta
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3/4 C ranch dressing
• 1 (15 oz) bottle Alfredo sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 1/2 C shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 C parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375.

Bring pasta to a boil and cook according to package directions.

When pasta is cooked through, drain water and place pasta in a large bowl.

Add chicken, bacon, ranch, Alfredo sauce, and garlic salt; stir together.

Place pasta mixture in a 9x13 baking dish that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray.

Top with Mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley over top.

Bake 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Ritz Chicken

*Serves 4

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 C Ritz crackers, crushed
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• black pepper to taste
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 C butter

Preheat oven to 375.

In a small bowl, mix together crackers, garlic salt, and black pepper.

Dip each chicken breast in the beaten eggs, then in the cracker mixture.

Place each coated chicken breast in a 9x13 pan.

Cut the butter up into small pieces, and put them over the top of the chicken breasts.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Skillet Taco Pasta

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 C finely chopped onion (or 1 tsp onion powder)
• 1 tsp minced garlic or garlic powder
• 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1/2 C green salsa or green enchilada sauce
• 15 oz. can beans (black or pinto), rinsed and drained
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 1/2 C penne or medium pasta shells (about 8.5 oz.)
• 1 1/3 C chicken broth
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• fresh cilantro, sour cream, and avocado for garnish

In a large non-stick skillet, ground beef, salt, perpper, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is cooked through.

Drain excess grease and scrape meat mixture onto a paper towel-lined plate.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, green salas, beans, chili powder, oregano, pasta, chicken brother, Worcestershire, and brown sugar to the skillet.

Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring often, until pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 15-20 minutes.

Stir in the ground beef and top with shredded cheese.

Cover the skillet for 1-2 minutes to let cheese melt.

Garnish and serve.

One Pan Chicken Dinner

Serves 4-6

Chicken Dinner

• 4 raw chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 8 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 [16 oz.] package frozen veggies of your choice, OR 2-3 C chopped fresh veggies
• 1 package dry onion soup mix
• 1 stick [1/2 C] butter, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 350.

Line the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish with chicken.

Cover the chicken with potatoes.

Cover the potatoes with vegetables.

Cover the vegetables with butter.

Sprinkle the onion soup mix on top of the butter.

Bake for 1 hour.

Gravy

• Juice from Chicken Dinner
• 4 TBS cornstarch or flour
• 1/4 C milk

Drain the juice from casserole dish into a medium-size glass bowl.

Add milk and cornstarch; whisk until smooth.

Serve on top of Chicken Dinner.

3 Ingredient Chicken Cacciatore

Serves 4-6

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 [24 oz.] jar of Arrabbiata sauce
• 1 [16 oz.] box of pasta of choice
• grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for garnishing

Combine chicken and Arrabbiata sauce in crock pot.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

About 20 minutes before you're ready to eat, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain; return to pot and drizzle with olive oil.

Serve the Chicken and sauce on top of pasta and top with your choice of cheese. [*Also fantastic with a side of cooked yellow and zucchini squash.]

5 Ingredient White Chili

Serves 6-8

• 6 C chicken broth
• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 15 oz. cans Great Northern beans
• 2 C salsa verde
• 2 tsp cumin

Garnish

• avocado
• cilantro
• shredded cheese
• green onions
• sour cream
• tortilla chips

Add all ingredients to crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.

Shred chicken.

Serve with desired toppings.

Swiss Steak & Mashed Potatoes

Serves 6-8

Stew

• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. stew meat
• salt and pepper
• 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch coins
• 4 C tomato or vegetable juice [such as V8]
• 3/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 15 oz. can peas

In a large pot over medium heat, saute onions and garlic in olive oil, about 2 minutes.

Add stew meat and sprinkle with salt and pepper; brown meat completely.

Stir in carrots, vegetable juice, and thyme.

Bring to boil; cover and reduce to simmer for 1-2 hours.

Once meat is tender, stir in peas.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve over mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes

• 2 lbs. Idaho potatoes
• 3 TBS butter
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1 C whole milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Peel potatoes and rinse.

Cut into 1-inch cubes and place in a large pot.

Cover with cold water and sprinkle salt. 
Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer; cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain completely with a strainer, then place back into large pot.

Mash potatoes with butter, cream cheese, milk, salt, and pepper until desired consistency has been reached.
Cover to keep warm. Serve with stew.

Crispy Honey Chicken

Serves 4

Sauce

• 2 C honey 
• 1/2 C low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame seed oil
• 1 dash of red pepper flakes 
• 1/4 C Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 4 TBS cornstarch
• 1/4 C Water  

In a saucepan over medium heat, add all ingredients except for the cornstarch and water. Whisk and bring to a boil. 

In a separate bowl stir together the cornstarch and water. 

Once the sauce mixture is boiling, while continuing to whisk, slowly add the cornstarch mixture. Bring back to a boil and then turn down to simmer for 10 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and allow to finish thickening. The sauce will be only a little thick, as too thick will be hard to toss the chicken.

Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes 
• 2 C flour
• 1 C milk 
• oil for frying

Pour milk into a gallon ziploc bag. Add the chicken and let it marinade in the milk for about one hour. 
Pour flour into a separate gallon ziploc. Add the chicken and toss until well coated.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is hot, cook the chicken, turning occasionally until golden and cooked through. 

Drain on a paper towel and then toss in sauce and serve over rice.  
 

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

 Serves 8-10

• 4 C broccoli, steamed
• 1 1/2 C cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2-3 C rice, cooked
• 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 C of milk
• 3 C chicken, cooked
• 1 12 oz. bag of herb seasoned stuffing
• 1 stick (1/2 C) butter

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, mix cream of mushroom soup and milk. 
Shred cooked chicken and add to mixture. Set aside.
Evenly spread the cooked broccoli in a 9x13 pan and sprinkle cheese on top. 
Add a layer of rice. 
Evenly pour the cream of mushroom mix on top. 
Put foil over the pan and cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes. 
In a medium bowl, melt the butter, add the stuffing and mix until stuffing is well coated with butter.

After the casserole has baked for 30-40 minutes, remove from oven and pour the stuffing on the casserole. 
Put the casserole back in the oven and cook until the stuffing is golden (approximately 5-10 minutes).



Angel Chicken

Serves 4-6

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• ¼ C of butter
• 1 C chicken broth
• 1 (7 oz) package good seasons Italian dressing
• 2 (10 ¾ oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (8 oz) tub cream cheese
• 1 lb angel hair pasta, rice, quinoa, or potatoes

Combine all ingredients except for pasta/rice and chicken in a crock pot.

Whisk until mixture is smooth.

Add chicken to crock pot.Cover and cook on low heat for 4 to 5 hours. 
Serve chicken and sauce over hot cooked pasta [rice, quinoa, or potatoes].

Tomatillo Ranch Chicken

Serves 3-6

• 1 C mayo
• ½ C buttermilk
• 1 package buttermilk ranch dressing mix
• 2½ tsp garlic
• 1 C fresh cilantro
• 3 tomatilloes, husked and chopped
• ½ tsp lime juice
• 3-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Blend together mayo, buttermilk, ranch mix, garlic, cilantro, tomatilloes, and lime juice.

Pour 1 cup of dressing into a large Ziploc bag. Add chicken breasts. Seal and chill at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Discard marinade and place chicken breasts side by side in a shallow baking dish. 

Bake 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. 

 Top with additional dressing and serve with rice if desired.
 

Chicken-Bacon-Avocado Wrap

Makes 2 wraps

• 2 pieces Greek Pita flat bread
• 1-2 TBS ranch dressing
• 1 avocado, mashed
• 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
• 2-4 pieces bacon, cooked
• 1/4 Colby-Jack cheese, shredded
• fresh spinach
• sliced tomtoes
• salt and pepper to taste

Lay each piece of pita bread on a flat surface.

Spread mashed avocado on one side of each piece of bread.

Pour ranch dressing on top.

Add chicken, bacon, cheese, spinach, tomatoes, salt and pepper.

Wrap the bread as tight as possible.

Cook for approximately 5 minutes on a panini or George Foreman grill.

Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops

The insanely delicious main course from the meal Jay prepared for me on Valentine's Day.

Serves 4-6

• 3 TBS butter
• 8 boneless pork chops
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 C white whine
• 1 1/2 C heavy cream
• 1 (8 oz.) package sliced mushrooms

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Season pork chops with salt and pepper, and arrange in a single layer in pan.

Fry for 2 minutes on each side.

Pour in whine, and continue cooking for 6 minutes.

Remove chops from pan.

Pour heavy cream and mushrooms into skillet. Increase heat to high; cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens.

Return chops to pan to warm before serving.

Oven Tacos

Makes 10 tacos

Taco Seasoning

• 1 TBS chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Taco Meat

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinning sliced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 (4 oz) can of green chilies
• 1 recipe of Taco Seasoning (above)
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (16 oz) can refried beans
• 2 C Colby-Jack cheese, shredded
• 18-20 small white corn tortillas

In a large skillet, cook chicken and onion over medium-high heat. Drain any excess liquid. 

Return to stove. Add chilies, taco seasoning, and tomato sauce. Mix well.

Turn heat to simmer while preparing the taco shells.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lay out 10 tortillas on a flat surface. [My tortillas kept breaking apart, so I did two layers of tortillas for each taco.]

Spread a spoonful of refried beans on each tortilla

Layer with Taco Meat.

Fold tacos, then place in a 9x13 dish.

Sprinkle cheese on top.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crispy.

Remove from the oven and serve with desired toppings.

Toppings

• lettuce, shredded
• tomatoes, diced
• salsa
• sour cream
• guacamole

Mustard Chicken

Serves 2-3

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 C Dijon mustard
• 1/4 C maple syrup
• 1 TBS vinegar (balsamic or red wine)
• 3 TBS fresh Rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine, and then seal all ingredients in a gallon-sized plastic bag.

Let marindae for at least 1 hour.

Grill, or cook chicken on a skillet.

Serve over cooked rice.

• 4 bone4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt & pepper
• Rosemary

- See more at: http://www.latestfood.com/2013/09/the-worlds-best-chicken.html#sthash.WVkjG7a6.dpu

• • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • Salt & pepper
  • Rosemary

  - See more at: http://www.latestfood.com/2013/09/the-worlds-best-chicken.html#sthash.WVkjG7a6.dpuf
  4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt & pepper
• Rosemary

- See more at: http://www.latestfood.com/2013/09/the-worlds-best-chicken.html#sthash.WVkjG7a6.dpuf

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt & pepper
• Rosemary

- See more at: http://www.latestfood.com/2013/09/the-worlds-best-chicken.html#sthash.WVkjG7a6.dpuf

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt & pepper
• Rosemary

- See more at: http://www.latestfood.com/2013/09/the-worlds-best-chicken.html#sthash.WVkjG7a6.dpuf

Asian Meatballs

Serves 6-8 (about 30 meatballs)

 Meatball Ingredients

•  2 lbs ground pork or ground beef
•  2 tsp sesame oil
•  1 C Panko or breadcrumbs
•  1/2 tsp ground ginger
•  2 eggs
•  3 tsp minced garlic
•  1/2 C thinly-sliced green onions

  Asian Sauce

• 2/3 C hoisin sauce
• 1/4 C rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 TBS soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp ground ginger

Garnish

• chopped green onions
• sesame seeds
• sliced, cooked carrots

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large bowl, mix together meatball ingredients until well-combined. Shape into balls (yielded about 30 meatballs), and place in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until meatballs are golden on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.

While the meatballs are baking, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until blended. Once meatballs have finished cooking, you can either dip each meatball individually (using a toothpick) in the sauce mixture. Or you can pour the sauce over the meatballs and gently stir them until covered.

Serve with rice and additional garnish if desired.

Coconut Curry [Chicken]

Thank you to my dear friend Aly, for this amazing recipe!

Serves 4-6

• 4 boneless, skinless, raw chicken breasts, diced
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 C vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp coriander
• 3 tsp curry powder
• 3 TBS soy sauce
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

To Garnish 

lime, cut into wedges
cilantro

Combine coconut milk, broth, cumin, coriander, curry powder, soy sauce, sugar, and salt in crock pot. Whisk until smooth. 
Add diced chicken, cover and cook on low for 4-5 hrs. 

TO THICKEN THE SAUCE: In a separate bowl, add 1 cup of the curry sauce with 1/4 C flour. Whisk until all the flour clumps are gone. Add the paste to the crock pot, then let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, until sauce thickens.

*Repeat if you desire thicker sauce.

Serve over cooked rice, with lime and cilantro

Dr. Pepper Roast

This recipe was a serious win. Easiest, most delicious roast ever.

Serves 6-8

• 1 can cream of mushroom
• 2 cans cream of potato
• 1 pkg onion soup mix
• 1 can of Dr. Pepper
• 2 lb boneless pork roast
• 2 C baby carrots
• 2 red potatoes

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot, except for carrots and potatoes. Cook on low for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Add carrots and potatoes. Cook on high for 3 hours, until everything is cooked through.