White Chicken Chili

Recipe from food.com

INGREDIENTS:

1b. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch cubes

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 (15 1/2 ounce) cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chilies

DIRECTIONS:

1. In large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil til chicken is no longer pink.
2. Add beans, chilies and seasonings and chicken broth.
3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (uncovered) for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and whipping cream.

*I really like this recipe. It is a little spicy so if you like a little less spice, I would go easy on the black and cayenne pepper and add to taste. We served this with shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
image from Karissa's Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips or chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces fresh spinach chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup lowfat milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound fettuccine (I used linguine)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a shallow pie plate or similar dish, combine the flour, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Dip each chicken piece in the flour mixture until both sides are well coated.
3. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Carefully place the chicken breasts in the pan, cooking them for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden and browned but not cooked all the way through (they’ll finish up in the oven). Gently remove the chicken to a foil-lined, lightly greased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside and tent with foil until ready to use.
4. While the chicken is cooking, heat a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles, cooking until al dente.
5. Also, wipe out the skillet with a couple paper towels and return it to medium heat, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and bell pepper, sauteing for 2-3 minutes.
6. Stir in one tablespoon flour and stir constantly while cooking for another minute. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
7. In a small liquid measure, whisk together the cornstarch and cream. Add the spinach, milk and cream mixture to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
8. When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and return it to the pot. Toss the pasta with half of the cheese sauce.
9. Place some of the coated pasta on each plate. Top with a breaded chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.

*This dish was super yummy and the sauce was so good! I actually doubled the sauce which ended up being perfect. I think the pasta would have been a little dry using just the amount listed. Camden loved this dish and the chicken was so moist and flavorful! We served this with sourdough garlic bread and steamed broccoli.

Oven Baked Chimichangas

Recipe and image
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
*Makes 6 chimichangas

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice
2-3 cups diced, cooked chicken (I cooked my chicken in a little bit of olive oil and seasoned it with southwest chipotle seasoning and a little salt on the stove).
1-2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (use the lesser amount for less heat, greater amount for a bigger kick) (*** I did not use these, instead, I seasoned the chicken with Southwest Chipotle Seasoning while it cooked on the stove and then I mixed about 1/3 a cup of chipotle salsa when it says to add the chpotle chiles in adobo sauce)
1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese (or a combination of both)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and Pepper
6 large burrito-size flour tortillas (I used smaller tortillas and made about 14 chimichangas)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees. While the oven is heating, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Cook the onion until it is just softened, about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the beans, rice, cooked chicken and the chipotle chilis and cook until the mixture is heated through, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1/4 teaspoon each).

3. Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave the tortillas until they are warm and pliable, about 1 minute. Top each warm tortilla with some of the chicken mixture, leaving about a 2-inch border at the bottom of the tortilla. Fold in the sides and roll up the tortilla tightly.

4. Brush the wrapped tortillas with the remaining oil and arrange them seam side down on the hot baking sheet that has been preheating in the oven. Bake until the chimis are golden brown and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve.

*We loved these! I didn't use the canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, instead I substituted them with southwest chipotle seasoning and chipotle salsa. They were really good and they were still so crispy even though not fried. We served the chimichangas with lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and tortilla chips and salsa.

Chicken Rolls

from Grandma Harker

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. cooked shredded chicken
4 oz. cream cheese softened
4 TBS. margarine
1/2 - 3/4 tsp. sage or poultry seasoning (I use about 1/2 tsp. garlic salt and 1/2 tsp parsley)
1 eight count can Pillsbury crescent rolls
Seasoned bread crumbs (I use ranch or Italian croutons) finely crushed

DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix cream cheese, 1 TBS margarine and poultry seasonings until blended.
2. Add chicken to cream cheese mixture.
3. Melt remaining butter in small bowl.
4. Unroll crescent rolls and place 1/8 of chicken mixture in middle of each roll. Pull roll dough around chicken mixture and seal edges forming a round ball.
5. Roll ball in melted butter and then in crushed bread crumbs.
6. Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
7. Serve with cheesy chicken gravy.

Cheesy Chicken Gravy
INGREDIENTS:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 - 1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS:
1. In small saucepan, heat cream of chicken soup and milk on medium heat. (Add desired amount of milk depending upon how thick you like your gravy).
2. Slowly add grated cheese until melted and remove from heat.

*This is another one of my grandmothers recipes that she served for her infamous Sunday dinners. This is a family favorite and they freeze well after being baked in the oven.

*I usually serve these with stove top stuffing and cooked vegetables.

Apricot Chicken

from Grandma Harker

INGREDIENTS:
4 lbs. chicken drumsticks
1 package onion soup mix
10 oz french dressing
1 cup apricot preserves

DIRECTIONS:
1. Grease 9x13 pan and place thawed chicken in pan.
2. Mix french dressing, apricot preserves, and onion soup mix in small bowl and pour over chicken.
3. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
4. Serve over white rice.

*This dish is super quick to put together and requires very few dishes. My grandma always had us over for Sunday dinner when I was growing up and this was always one of my favorites that she made.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

From Karrissa's Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 TBS butter
1 large onion
3 celery sticks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
2-3 cans Cream of Chicken soup (I just use 1 large 26 oz can)
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk (I use regular milk)
6 cups chicken broth (I use 6 chicken bullion cubes and 6 cups of water)
2-3 TBS dried parsley flakes
¼ tsp dried thyme
1 (8-12 ounce) package wide egg noodles
Salt and Pepper to taste
Water

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium pot, boil chicken in water until done - lay out on a plate to cool.
2. While chicken is cooking, chop onion, celery, and carrots. In a large pot melt butter, sauté chopped vegetables for a few (no more than 5) minutes on medium-high heat. Pour enough broth to cover vegetables, add peas, parsley, thyme, bay leaf (remember to remove before eating). Continue to cook on medium-high heat.
3. When chicken is cooled enough to handle, either shred or chop into bite-size pieces. Add to vegetables in pot.
4. Add remaining broth, evaporated milk, 2 cans of soup, and noodles. If you want the soup thicker, add the third can of soup. (The soup will thicken as the noodles swell.) Turn down to medium-low heat, and cook for 20-30 minutes until vegetables are soft, and noodles are done. Add more water if the soup is too thick for your preference.
5. Either serve or transfer to a large crock-pot and set on warm or low until ready to serve.