Tag Archives: chicken

Southwest Crockpot Soup

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For dinner tonight, I made this recipe that I found on pinterest. It was easy and delicious!  Great soup for a cold winter day!
Crockpot Southwest Chicken Soup
Southwest Crockpot Soup

1 can of rotel
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans (drained & rinsed)
2 frozen chicken breasts
8 oz cream cheese
1 packet dry ranch dressing
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
shredded cheddar

Put all ingredients except cheese in crock pot and cook 6-8 hours on low. Shred chicken. Serve with cheese and enjoy!

You can also cook this on high for 3-4 hours, but don’t add the cream cheese until the last hour.

Autumn Risotto with Chicken & Cranberries

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I had a Pampered Chef party in November and was able to get the Deep Dish Covered Baker at a fabulous price! I haven’t used it much, but tonight, I made this great recipe for Autumn Risotto with Chicken & Cranberries – YUMMM!!! Did I mention I made this in the Microwave!??

We loved it. And when I say “we”, I mean Chad & I. Maria doesn’t try much when she is tired. And Charlie only ate one bowl. (This kid is a machine eater lately, and only one bowl, is not even close to what he does with cereal or anything with cheese!)

OK. so here is the recipe, with my modifications.  I did not add Almonds as it makes me all itchy. I used turkey instead of chicken, because I had some in the freezer from Thanksgiving. I did not have parsley, so did not use it. And used all chicken stock, instead of some wine.  But if you like any or all of those things, then reference the original recipe. AND if you don’t have a Deep Dish Covered Baker, then I would suggest a nice glass dish with a top on it.

Autumn Risotto wih Turkey and Cranberries

Autumn Risotto with Chicken & Cranberries

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 cups hot water
1 medium onion
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 3/4 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup dry white wine such as Chardonnay
1/2 tsp each salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
2 stalks celery
2 oz cream cheese
2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey breasts
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)

  1. Combine cranberries and hot water; set aside. Coarsely chop onion. Combine onion, rice and oil in Deep Covered Baker and stir. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 2-4 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add stock, wine, salt and black pepper; microwave, covered, on HIGH 13 minutes or until rice is still slightly firm, stirring once halfway through.
  2. Meanwhile, toast almonds in Sauté Pan over medium heat 5-7 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Slice celery. Cut cream cheese into cubes. Drain cranberries; set aside. Carefully remove baker from microwave. Add chicken and celery; stir. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 3-5 minutes or until rice is tender and risotto appears creamy.
  3. Carefully remove baker from microwave. Add cream cheese and almonds; stir until cheese is fully incorporated. Fold in cranberries. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (about 6½ cups)
Autumn Risotto with Chicken & Cranberries

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake

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Yummmm…  this was delicious! I found this recipe via pinterest.  Followed it pretty much exactly.  I used sour cream instead of Greek yogurt (since I ordered my groceries delivered last week and the Greek yogurt choices were limited).  I also used precooked chicken and made the rice 2 days before when I was prepping another meal.  I then put it all together the night before.  Yummy!  The kids weren’t so sure about it, but I will keep trying! (oh, and I omitted the cilantro – I am not a fan…)

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake

2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
4 cups Cooked Brown Rice
¾ cups Frozen Corn
15 ounces, fluid Can Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed
1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt (or Sour Cream)
4 ounces, fluid Can Green Chilis
½ cups Salsa
1 cup Low-fat Cheddar Cheese, Plus More For Topping
2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro For Garnish

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for cilantro and mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure the yogurt and cheese are stirred in throughout the entire bowl. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to an oven-safe dish and top with extra cheese if you would like. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

 

Sun-Dried Tomato, Pesto, & Chicken Stuffed Shells

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I found this link to freezer meals last week. Which led me to this recipe for Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

I modified only slightly to also add some sun-dried tomatoes that I had in my refrigerator. Plus I also doubled this and froze half for my friend Sara.

Sun-Dried Tomato, Pesto, & Chicken Stuffed Shells

12-16 jumbo pasta shells
water for boiling pasta
4oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + 1/4 cup for topping
3 tablespoons prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes in oil (drained and chopped)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (see Leftover Chicken)
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a 9×9 (or 8×8) baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.

The leftovers- Maria loved this.  So kid-tested, mother-approved!Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Shells

* To make ahead/freezer meals – Prepare as directed but place filled shells in an oven- and freezer-proof baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells, cover and freeze. When ready to prepare, defrost. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.

Leftover Chicken

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Do you know those recipes that call for 2 cups leftover chicken?  Or even any recipe that starts with “First cook the chicken…”  Blah!  That’s what I say to that.  That adds easily 10 minutes to a recipe.  Blah!

My answer to that.  2 big bags of frozen chicken breasts, a little bit of water and a crockpot!

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Remove chicken and cut into pieces or shred.  It makes about 10 cups. Freeze in 2 cup quantities.  Now you’re ready for those dumb recipes, without spending money on those pre-cooked bags of chicken which never seem to last very long in our house.

Sundried Tomato Chicken

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This one also came from a recipe exchange at work.  Super yummy. A recipe I could serve to guests, and it’s so easy, they wouldn’t know it (except I’d tell them, because that’s what I do!)

Sundried Tomato Chicken

20 oz chicken breasts
4 oz jar of Sundried Tomato Pesto (found in 8 oz jar – at SuperTarget it’s in the pasta sauce section)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Add flour, salt and pepper to large Ziploc bag.  Add chicken to bag, shake to coat. Add oil to large skillet and heat.  Add chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side until brown. Add sundried tomato pesto and chicken stock to the pan. Cook until chicken is cooked.

Serve with: garlic mashed potatoes and grilled or roasted asparagus

Sassy Salsa Pumpkin Soup

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Sarah sent me this recipe and it is delicious! I think she got it from Hungry Girl…

I did add about a cup of chicken so that Chad would consider it a meal (and I had some in the freezer leftover from a deli rotisserie chicken)

Sassy Salsa Pumpkin Soup

(Serves 4 – calories: 162.5, fat: 0.75g, sodium: 1128mg, carbs: 13, fiber: 12g, sugars: 6.5g, protein: 10g = 3 Points)

Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
4 cups Fat Free broth (chicken or vegetable)
15 oz. can pure pumpkin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn
3/4 cup salsa (this is where you can add or reduce the spiciness)
Optional toppings: shredded reduced-fat or fat-free cheese, and reduced-fat or fat free sour cream

Directions:
Spray pot with non-stick cooking spray and heat pan on medium. Add garlic, chili powder and cumin, and stir for one minute. Add broth to the spices, and bring to a simmer. Add pumpkin and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. This soup can be served with a sprinkle of cheese and a little fat free sour cream on top. Serves 4.

Easy Tortilla Soup

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This was such an easy and quick and tasty soup! I made it tonight. It would be so easy to make as a weeknight dinner and something that could sit on the stove if Chad was running late. Plus only 4 points for a bowl, well at least until you add cheese and chips. But I just added a little reduced-fat cheddar and some baked Tostito Scoops.

The original recipe was found at allrecipes.com, but I made some adjustments so I could use up some leftover turkey!

Easy Tortilla Soup

2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed chicken and rice soup
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups chopped turkey or chicken (cooked)
cumin and oregano to taste

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine the soup, tomatoes and chilies, broth, turkey and tomato sauce. Add seasonings. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat.

Serve with cheese and chips.

Makes 5 Servings.

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue

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Another crockpot meal. Easy Delicious! It’s been a hot week and the crockpot has been the perfect way to not have to spend time over the stove (or grill) this week!

This was delicious!  I found this at allrecipes.com I didn’t change a thing, but did take the advice of the reviews and used a quality BBQ sauce! I used Sweet Baby Ray’s… YUM!!  We will make this one again. Love that I can easily have all the ingredients on hand for when I want to deviate from the menu plan!

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue

6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Place chicken in a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.
Cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

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We tried this recipe the other day.  I love chicken, but definitely feel that chicken (especially white meat) needs to be marinated prior to grilling. I just am not a fan of dried out chicken.  And this recipe was super easy! And a great reason to plan some rosemary next year, so I always have ingredients on hand for those last minute grill nights!

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch cubes

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Downloadable Recipe Card