Chicken Spaghetti

1-1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 microwave steamer bag broccoli
1 package thin spaghetti
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can Rotel tomatoes & green chilis
1/2 cup mexican blend shredded cheese
salt & pepper

Prepare spaghetti & broccoli per package directions.  While they cook,combine mushroom soup, Rotel & mexican cheese in a small sauce pan on low heat until heated through.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl & add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve family style with french or garlic bread.

This recipe is a bit too spicy for the little ones!

Baked BBQ or Hot Wings

adapted from foodnetwork.com

12+ whole chicken wings

desired sauce

Remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Use kitchen shears or a knife to separate the wings at the joint. Place the wings in an electric steamer for 15 minutes (or place a 6-quart saucepan, with a steamer basket and 1 inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.  Add chicken and steam for 10 minutes). 

Remove the wings and carefully pat dry. Lay out the wings on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator to dry, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the paper towels on the pan and replace with non-stick foil or parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack of the oven, about 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook 20 to 30 more minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

When the chicken is almost finished roasting, pour sauce into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken. Remove the wings from the oven, transfer to the bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve warm.

Chicken & Pasta

 adapted from allrecipes.com

1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts - cubed

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 (8 ounce) package cold cream cheese, cubed

1/2 to 3/4 can of Del Monte canned tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
Minced onion & garlic
Salt, pepper & Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese

Bring large pot of water to a boil, and stir in penne pasta. 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, combine chicken cubes, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, seasoning & broth; simmering until done. Stir in cubed cream cheese and spinach. Return to simmer, and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, and cook about 3 minutes more. 

In a large bowl, mix together cooked, drained pasta and sauce. Let stand a few minutes & top each serving with cheese before serving.

This is even better as left overs!

Green Chili Enchiladas

2 cups Mexican Crockpot Chicken
2 1/2 cups Shredded Cheese, divided
6 flour tortillas, soft taco size
1 can Green Chili Enchilada Sauce (10 oz)

Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce into 8x8 baking pan.

Divide chicken & 1 1/2 cups cheese among tortillas. Roll up. Place seam-side-down in baking pan. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas & cover top with cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2 small or 1 large pizza crust - homemade or packaged
BBQ sauce
Approximately 1 cup of cooked chicken (shredded or thinly sliced) 
1 onion, caramelized*
Mozzarella cheese

Top pizza crust with a generous layer of BBQ sauce.  Top sauce with a layer of chicken, then a layer of cheese.  Add onions to the top and cook according to the pizza crust directions and until cheese is melted.

*caramelize onions by slowly cooking them in a little olive oil until they are richly browned.

Crockpot Rotissere-Style Chicken

 from crockpot365

1 whole chicken, skinned (4-5 pounds)
2 tsp kosher salt (if you'd like it as salty as the ones in the store, add another 1 tsp.)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of chili pepper (probably not necessary)

4 whole garlic cloves (optional)
1 yellow onion, quartered (optional)

I used a 6 quart crockpot for a 5 pound bird. It fit nicely.

Skin the chicken and get rid of the neck and other stuff from the cavity. This takes a while, and is gross. Keep small children away so you don't freak out about salmonella. I skin whole chickens because I hate the idea of the chicken fat simmering all day in the crock---it also looks disgusting when the chicken is cooked because it's all slimy and icky.

I get it that I'm weird. If chicken skin makes you happy, then by all means, ignore me.

In a bowl, combine all of dried spices. Rub the spice mixture all over the bird, inside and out. Plop the bird breast-side down into the crockpot.

If desired, shove 4 whole garlic cloves and a quartered onion inside the bird.

Do not add water.

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8. The meat is done when it is fully cooked and has reached desired tenderness. The longer you cook it, the more tender the meat.

Chicken Pot Pie

 Adapted from Cooks.com

1 can Veg-All mixed Vegetables, drained
1 can Cream of Potato Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 a soup can of milk
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded, cubed, or chopped
2 uncooked refrigerated pie crusts
salt & pepper to taste
1 egg, slightly beaten for egg wash


The directions on the box of pie crusts say to let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Take these out of your refrigerator now, open each package and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place vegetables, soups, milk, chicken and S&P in a bowl, mix until combined thoroughly.

Put one pie crust into pie plate, add filling, top with remaining pie crust.

Cut a couple of slits in the crust, brush lightly with egg wash.

Bake on cookie sheet in center of over for 45 minutes.

Maple-Roasted Chicken With Sweet Potatoes

 From Real Simple

1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons maple syrup
6 sprigs fresh thyme

Heat oven to 400° F.

Rinse the chicken and pat it dry. Arrange the chicken, onion, and sweet potatoes in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Drizzle the oil over the chicken and vegetables and season with the salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Drizzle with the maple syrup and top with the sprigs of thyme.

Roast, stirring the vegetables once, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

I made this with chicken breasts cut in 1/2.  I also substituted sugar free syrup & dried thyme.  The chicken ended up a little tough on the outside, but still tender enough to cut with a fork.  Since it is so similar to the Easy Chicken recipe, I think I may try it in an oven bag next time.  Regardless, it was really good :)

King Ranch Casserole

From allrecipes.com

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup chopped onion
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
2 (8 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
12 (8 inch) flour tortillas
3 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add chicken and bouillon and boil for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through (no longer pink inside). Reserve 1 cup broth. Remove chicken from pan and dice; set aside.

In a separate large saucepan combine reserved broth, onion, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, bell pepper, diced tomatoes with green chile peppers and beans. Mix together and heat through, stirring often.
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
 
In a 9x13 inch baking dish layer casserole as follows: 4 torn tortillas, 1/2 of diced chicken, 1/3 of soup mixture, more tortilla strips, remaining diced chicken, 1/3 of soup mixture, more tortilla strips and remaining soup mixture. Cover with cheese.
 
Bake in preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly. 

This is really good, but rather time consuming.  It took me almost an hour & a half to complete the prep.  It made enough for about 4 meals for our family of 4.  I think next time, I would make it in 2 8x8 pans and freeze one.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

adapted from allrecipes.com

1 Pizza Crust (dough or prepared)
Ranch or Blue Cheese salad dressing
Buffalo Chicken
Mozzarella Cheese

Arrange pizza dough as required. Top with dressing (in place of pizza sauce) and chicken. Top lightly with cheese and bake as directed (per pizza crust type).

My hubby thought it could use less cheese than pictured, thus the specification of 'top lightly'

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Baking Potatos
Olive Oil
Seasoning/Sea Salt
Cheese

Topping ideas:
Chicken
Chili
Broccoli
Cauliflower

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub the potatoes and prick each multiple times with a fork to prevent steam from building up and causing the potato to explode in your oven. Rub or spray Olive Oil on potato jacket and sprinkle seasonings and/or sea salt on the outside for a tasty and tough jacket. Bake for 40 - 60 minutes (baking time will vary on size and number of potatoes).

Place each baked potato on a plate, slice open lengthwise, separate the two halves and mash slightly. Top with shredded cheese & desired toppings. You can even add a little sour cream, BBQ or ketchup.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

adapted from allrecipes.com

4 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 (17.5 fluid ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce (Frank's Red Hot)

1/2 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix

6 buns, rolls, or flatbreads
Ranch or blue cheese dressing
Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Place frozen chicken breasts in crockpot and top with ranch mix and entire bottle of buffalo sauce. Cook 6 hours on low. Using 2 forks, shred chicken at least 30 minutes before serving. Spread dressing on both halves of each bread serving, top with chicken & cheese. Enjoy!

You can make extra chicken to be used for Buffalo Chicken Pizza :)

Chicken Fajitas

1 medium onion
1-2 bell peppers
3 chicken breasts
olive oil
flour or corn tortillas

Cut onion and peppers into strips. Spray or drizzle a small amount of oil in a large skillet. Add veggies and stir often as you cut the chicken into strips. In a second skillet, cook the chicken and season as desired. Once the veggies are tender and the chicken is cooked through, add chicken to veggie mix, remove from heat & stir.

Place fajita mixture on tortillas and top with desired toppings.

I like to make double the amount and save left overs for Tex-Mex Pizzas :)

Cheesy Chicken Soup

from Christel Snelson

2-3 chicken breasts, diced
Red potatoes
Carrots
Onion
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans rotel
1 box (or 3 cans) chicken broth
Velveeta cheese

Place chicken into a large stockpot to brown. Meanwhile, dice up red potatoes, carrots and onion (enough to fill your stock pot about 1/4 full). Once the chicken is cooked, add the veggies, soup, Rotel, chicken broth and bring to a boil. Then, simmer until veggies are cooked. Cube up some Velveeta, put in soup bowls, pour hot soup over cheese cubes and enjoy.

In the photo above, I didn't have Velveeta so I just used shredded cheese. It was yummy! It was a bit spicy, but most of the spice is in the broth. If feeding little kids, the chicken and veggies would be fine, but separate it from the broth.

Chicken Tetrazzini

from Nancie Habben

8 oz package spaghetti, cooked and drained
3 tablespoons butter
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans pimento, chopped
2 cups chicken
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup milk
1/2 cup almond slivers

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium saucepan, saute pepper, onions and mushrooms in butter. Add soup, milk and pimentos and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and add spagetti, chicken, cheese, and almonds. Transfer to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish and bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until bubbling.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream
2 cups cheese, divided
1 can diced green chilis
4 flour tortillas, soft taco size torn into strips

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine chicken, soup, sour cream, green chilis and 1 cup of cheese. Spray a 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and place a small layer of the chicken mixture on the bottom. Add a layer of tortilla strips and repeat layering (be sure to end with mixture on top, not tortillas). Top with a layer of cheese and bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes.

This can also be made in the crockpot following the same layering technique and cooking on low for 4 hours.

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti

Adapted from allrecipes.com

1/2 package spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 can Rotel tomatoes & green chilis
1 can condensed cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup cream cheese
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup shredded cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente; drain and return to pot.

To the pasta add the diced tomatoes with green chili peppers, soup, cream cheese, chopped chicken, salt and pepper. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through.

I have made this with leftover pasta noodles and cooked chicken. Mixed all the ingredients together and baked covered for 30-45 mins (until warmed through) on 350.

Family Style Nachos

Tortilla Chips
Shredded Cheese

Topping ideas:
Chicken (cooked & cubed)
Black or refried beans
Onions and/or peppers
Olives

Preheat oven to 350. On a foil lined cookie sheet spread a layer of tortilla chips. Lightly top with a layer of cheese followed by desired nacho toppings. Add a 2nd thin layer of cheese to the top and place in the oven until cheese melts (about 5 mins). Serve with desired dips (salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc).

We simply place the cookie sheet on a trivet in the middle of the table. Each person gets their own plate and grabs their own serving of nachos from the middle. This is a fun, easy crowd pleaser :)

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

inspired by the Red Robin Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Burger

Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless)
BBQ Sauce
Buns
Lettuce, shredded (optional)
Tomato (optional)
Cheddar Cheese, sliced (optional)
Mayo or Ranch Dressing
Crispy Onions/Onion Straws

Place frozen chicken breasts in crockpot and top with a bottle of BBQ sauce. Cook 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Using 2 forks, shred chicken about 20 minutes before serving.

Assemble sandwiches with desired ingredients.

The chicken can be cooked on a BBQ grill or cooked in the oven and then topped with BBQ sauce, but we have found that our favorite, most flavorful (and easy) way is in the crockpot. You can make this for as many as needed...we even made a HUGE batch in a roasting pan for the boys 1st birthday party.

Baked Flautas

Adapted from: Hungry Girl

Mexican Crock Pot Chicken (or any chicken & salsa mixture)
Shredded cheese
Flour tortillas (soft taco size)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying with nonstick spray, and set it aside.

Take one tortilla, spray both sides lightly with nonstick spray, and lay it flat on a clean dry surface. Spoon about 2 heaping tbsp. of filling onto the tortilla. Spread it evenly across the entire surface, sprinkle with cheese and roll tortilla up tightly, so that you have a cigar-shaped tube. Secure with toothpicks and place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Bake for 14 - 16 minutes, until crispy. Allow flautas to cool for 5 minutes. If you like, dunk in enchilada sauce, salsa, sour cream or our favorite...guacamole!