Oven Casserole Jambalaya

We were watching the tv show, Home Town, one evening and they made a jambalaya for a friend on the show. It made us so hungry that I ordered the Laurel Mercantile Company Cookbook Volume 1 to get the recipe. The  recipe is shared by Mallorie Rasberry.

Picture from banana-breads.com

Mal's Jambalaya

1 can beef broth

1can of original Rotel tomatoes (for spicier, buy the hot Rotel)

1 can tomaato sauce

1 can French onion soup

1 stick of butter, melted

2 cups Uncle Ben's uncooked long grain rice (any long grain rice will work)

1 onion, diced

1 heaping Tablespoon of minced garlic

1 package of Polaska sausage, (or any sausage of your choice), cut in bite size pieces

3 cooked, shredded chicken breasts

Season to taste (Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning)

1 can chicken broth (used for after the baking)

Dump everything, except the chicken broth, in a huge bowl and mix well. Empty bowl into a large casserole pan, cover with foil and place in a 375 degree oven. Cook for around an hour and a half, or until rice is cooked. If it's a little dry, pour sin ome of the chicken broth. Same is true when you are heating up leftovers.

Spicy BBQ Sauce

 

Spicy BBQ Sauce

3/4 cup chopped onions

1/4 cup po;

3/4 cup ketchup

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup lemon juice

3 Tablespoon sugar

3 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoon prepared mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook onion i oil until soft. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer 15 minutes. Use as a basting sauce whilr cooking and serve with meat. Makes 1 pint.

It is wonderful on chicken or beef... and especially delicious on salmon.

Chicken in Italian Cream Sauce

 

Chicken in Italian Cream Sauce

4-6 skinless chicken breasts

1 pkg. Good Season Zesty Italian dry packet

1 can chicken broth

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, chunked and softened

Put chicken breasts in crock pot and turn on low. Mix next 2 ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook for 6 hours. (If frozen, cook for 8 hours.) Take chicken out and set aside. Add chunks of cream cheese to juice in the crock pot and stir with whisk until creamy. Add chicken back into the crock pot until warmed through. Seve over noodles with steamed broccoli.

Kung Pao Chciken

 

Kung Pao Chciken

1 lb. chicken, cut into 2" pieces

3 cloves gar;ic, chopped

1 cup green beans, cut into 1" pieces (Optional)

Oil

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons Apple juice

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil

1/4-3/4 teaspoon crushed red chilies

10 green onions, cut diagonally into 1 1/2" pieces 

1/3 cup peanuts

Rice

Fry chicken, garlic and green beans in the oil. In a saucepan, make sauce by mixing chicken broth, apple juice, soy sauce, cornstarch and sesame oil. Cook to thicken, about 1 minute. Add crushed red chilies and stir to combine. Pour over chicken. Add green onions and peanuts. Serve over rice.

Serves 4-6.

White Chicken Chili

 This is a recipe given to me by a friend when we lived in Texas. It is a delicious chili variation.

White  Chicken Chili

32 oz. chicken stock

3- 14.5 oz. cans white beans, undrained

5 cups cooked chicken, chopped

2 cups salsa

8 oz. grated pepper jack cheese

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 garlic cloves, minced

Pepper to taste

1/2 cup finely crushed corn chips (optional for thicker chili)

Place all ingredients, except corn chips, in a crock pot and cook on high until cheese is well incorporated. Chili may also be cooked on stove top on medium heat. When chili is ready, add finely crushed corn chips and simmer 10 minutes to thicken. Garnish with more crushed corn chips, cheese or sour cream.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

From Our Best Bites

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Yields 12

These taquitos are an all-time reader favorite, and it's so easy to see why. Pair it with our Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing for a fantastic Latin dish!

Ingredients

1. 1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese (low fat is fine, avoid fat free)
2. 1/4 cup green salsa
3. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
5. 1 teaspoon chili powder
6. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
7. 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic, or garlic powder
8. 3 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
9. 2 Tablespoon sliced green onions
10. 2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!)
11. 1 C grated pepperjack or plain jack cheese
12. small flour or corn tortillas
13. kosher salt
14. cooking spray or olive oil

For the filling

1. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir.
2. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic.
3. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions.
4. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
5. (You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.)

For the taquitos

1. Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. If using corn tortillas, work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave, wrapped in damp paper towels until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If using flour tortillas straight from the fridge, it helps to warm them in the microwave so they're easier to roll.
3. Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1 inch from the edges. Roll up tortillas and place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another. Spray lightly with cooking spray, or lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Dip in sour cream, or our favorite: Creamy Lime-Cilantro Ranch.

For the freezer instructions

1. Prepare the taquitos through rolling them out and placing them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 and place the taquitos on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

By Our Best Bites

Grilled Chicken and Berry Salad

We recently spent time with the Gasser family and Carolyn served Grilled Chicken and Berry Salad from Our Best Bites. It was fantastic!

Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad

Recipe by Our Best Bites, Inspired by the Pigtailed Red-Head of Hamburger Fame

Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad
1/2 head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
6-8 oz. baby spinach
12-16 oz. chicken, marinated, grilled and sliced*
8 oz. strawberries, sliced
8 oz. blueberries
4 oz. crumbled Feta or shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1 c. sliced almonds, toasted
Berry Poppy Seed Dressing to taste

For serving a large crowd, toss all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and add dressing to taste. For individual servings, arrange ingredients on plates and serve the dressing on the side. Makes about 8 side dish servings and 4 main dish servings.

Berry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
1/2 c. white wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey (or sugar)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tsp. kosher or other coarse salt
About 10 cracks of freshly ground black pepper
1 c. raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries
2/3 c. canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine the vinegar, honey, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and berries in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth and then, with the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Turn off the blender and whisk in the poppy seeds. If possible, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Chicken a la King

This is an old favorite...

Picture from Taste of Home

Chicken a la King 

(Creamed Chicken or Turkey)

4 Tablespoons butter

4 Tablespoons flour

2 chicken bouillon cubes

2 cups water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups diced, cooked chicken

2 ounces (1/2 cup) sliced mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in bouillon. Cook and stir until thickened and smooth. Stir in milk, chicken, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Serve over noodles, rice, toast or biscuits.

Serves 4.

Cafe Rio #3

These is a Cafe Rio recipe that I found on the internet. It is a Chicken Recipe. That is why I am including it.

Cafe Rio Chicken

5 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced

Cook all together in a crock pot for 5-7 hours. Shred meat, return to crockpot and cook 1 hour longer.

Baked Pesto Chicken

This is from the cookbook, "South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook.

Baked Pesto Chicken

4 (6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup pesto (from a jar)

1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spread 1/4 cup of pesto in a 9x13 pan. Lay chicken breasts over pesto in an even layer and spread with remaining 1/4 cup of pesto.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Uncover and top with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 5 minutes more. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Chinese Chicken

We recently had dinner at some friend's house and they served this chicken for dinner. We LOVED it! So, we had to get the recipe. Of course! Thank you, Audrey and Opal! (Changes in the recipe are from Audrey.)

Chinese Chicken

3 lbs. chicken parts (we use thighs)

Sauce:

¼ cup soy sauce (shoyu)

¾ cup ketchup

½ cup water

1 tsp. vinegar

½ cup brown sugar

1 onion diced (I do not add this)

Dash garlic powder and seasoned salt (I use regular salt)

Bring sauce ingredients to a boil.

Place chicken in baking dish. Pour sauce over the top.

Bake 350*F for 1- 1 1/2 hours. Spoon sauce over chicken several times during baking.

(I bake at 400*F on conventional oven for one hour, or 30 in the microwave on high until done.)

Recipe shared by Robin

Bacon Wrapped BBQ Chicken

This recipe is from Our Best Bites, from an email, not in their website.

Bacon-Wrapped, Cheese-Stuffed BBQ Chicken. I mean, you can do no wrong here.

 

Here’s how it goes, listen up:  

→ Take some boneless skinless chicken breasts; they need to be thawed, not frozen. You’re going to make a “pocket” in the center of each one and stuff it with cheese, so take a sharp knife and stick it into the end of one end of the chicken piece and stab it right into the center. Glide your knife one direction, and then the other direction so you’ve got an opening at one end of the chicken piece and a nice pocket in the center. Cut a chunk of white cheese (smoked cheddar, provolone, mozzarella) to fit inside the pockets and stuff it in there.  

→ Generously slather each piece of chicken with your favorite bottled bbq sauce

→ Wrap each piece of chicken with 1-2 bacon slices, securing at ends with toothpicks if necessary. 

→ Slather on a little bit more BBQ sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

  

→ Cover a baking sheet with foil and place a baking rack on top of it (like a cooling rack you’d use for cookies). Place chicken on top of the rack and bake at 375 until chicken reaches 165 degrees inside. Mine took 20 minutes or so but it will vary depending on size. Serve with a simple green salad or your favorite veggie for a quick and easy dinner!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada

This recipe is from Cook with a Shoe.com.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

Ingredients:

16 flour tortillas

3 cups sour cream

2 small cans green chilies

about 2 cups grated cheese

2 bunches of green onions, chopped

1/2 a bunch spinach leaves, washed and cut into ribbons

2 cups, cooked, shredded chicken

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into julienne strips

1- 28oz can of green enchilada sauce

1 cup broth

1 tsp adobo seasoning

2 TBS butter

2 TBS flour

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350'F.

Mix sour cream, chilies, 1 1/5 cups of cheese, spinach, green onions, chicken

and bell pepper. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add flour and adobo seasoning, stirring often,

and then add broth.

Add broth roux to filling mixture, mix and set aside.

Pour enough enchilada sauce into two 9x13 pans to cover bottom. Spoon

filling into tortilla, roll and place in the pan.

Pour rest of enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and top with

remaining cheese.

Place pans in oven and bake at 350'F for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted

and sauce is bubbly. Enjoy!

Freezing directions:

Stuff 8 tortillas with filling (from above), roll and place on a cookie sheet.

Flash freeze for 30 minutes. Place frozen enchiladas into a ziplock bag.

Pour about 1 cup of enchilada sauce into a small ziplock bag. Place in large bag

with enchiladas.

Freeze until ready to use. Thaw sauce in water. Cover bottom of pan with sauce.

Place frozen enchiladas into pan. Cover with more sauce and cheese.

Bake at 350’ for 30-45 minutes until hot and bubbly, and cheese is melted!

Recipe shared by Robin.

Homemade Chicken Broth

This recipe is from Cook with a Shoe.com.

Homemade Chicken Broth

Ingredients:

chicken bones, skin and drippings

water

1/4-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Onion peelings

Celery scraps

Garlic papers

Carrot peelings

Salt to taste (after broth is made)

Directions:

Put chicken bones back in the crock pot with the drippings from the roast

chicken. Fill the crock pot with water. Add apple cider vinegar and vegetable

scraps. Cook on low for 24 hours. Strain broth out and cool. Store broth in the

fridge or in the freezer until ready to use.

Salt to taste when using the broth.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Crockpot Roast Chicken

This recipe is from Cook with a Shoe.com.

Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole fryer chicken

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp onion flakes

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp thyme

2 tsp rosemary

2 tsp salt

Directions:

Remove chicken from wrapper and place in crock pot. Mix all spices together

and rub all over chicken. Turn crock pot on low and cook for 8-10 hours.

Once meat is cooked, remove meat from bones and set aside.

Eat as is, or include meat in another recipe.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Chicken Salad Supreme

Another recipe from Grandma Blossom in the old cookbook, 1950 Clifton Hill Presbyterian Church Favorite Recipes.

Chicken Salad Supreme

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped, toasted almonds
2 Tablespoons chopped green olives
2 Tablespoons chopped black olives
2 Tablespoons chopped, mixed pickles
2 hard cooked eggs, sliced
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Combine ingredients, tossing together lightly. Serve on lettuce leaves. Serves 6.

Options: 
Substitute Turkey for chicken.
Leave out green olives, pickles, eggs.
Add cranberries and finely chopped green onions.
Increase mayonnaise.

Eat in a croissant or on delicious bread.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I have no idea where this recipe came from. I've had it for forever! It's the recipe that I use whenever we have chicken leftover.

Chicken Noodle Soup

3 qts. water
Boney Chicken Parts
3 carrots, sliced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 lb. noodles (homemade or store bought)
salt and pepper

Cook the meat and bones in the water until tender and falling off the bones. Remove the meat and bones from the broth and clean the meat off and cut to bite-size pieces. Strain the broth.  Add the vegetables and the noodles and cook until tender. Return the meat to the broth. Season to taste.  Serves 6.

I do like to substitute rice for the noodles on occassion. Maybe 1/2 cup of uncooked rice...no more than 1 cup. Remember, 1 cup of uncooked rice turns into 3 cups of cooked rice. Of course, if you love lots of rice....

Recipe shared by Robin.

Cream of Chicken Soup

Recipe given to us by Dorothy Packard.

Cream of Chicken Soup

Boil chicken with 2 stalks of celery, 1 1/2c carrots and 1 onion in water. Cover until chicken can be pulled off the bones.  Remove chicken and dice, discard vegetables and strain broth.

Bring broth to a boil, add diced celery, grated carrots, and chopped onions and wide noodles.Make roux by melting ½ lb. margarine or butter, then add 1 cup flour.  Slowly add roux to soup.  Simmer 15 minutes.  Stir often to prevent scorching.  Add chopped chicken.

Recipe shared by Karen.

Greek Chicken Pizza, without the crust

Last night I "invented" dinner from things that were in the refrigerator. My husband, Jay, called it, "Greek Pizza, but without the crust". That was were I was going with it, so I was delighted that he thought that it was perfect. He has requestd it again, soon.

In each baking dish, I layered:

1 chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
Marinated artichokes, cut up
Kalamata olives, cut in half
Feta cheese
Tomatoes, cut in half

I filled each baking dish to my desired amount. Then baked it at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, to heat it through.

I served the meal by scooping the baked chicken mixture onto a bed of raw spinach and raw chopped onions, drizzled with a light basalmic vinigrette. The juices from the chicken mixture added extra flavoring to the vinigrette. The spinach and onion "cooked" a little from the heat of the chicken mixture. It turned out really great! Delicious even!

Recipe shared by Robin.

White Chicken Chili

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients: 

• 1 T olive oil
• 2 med onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 4oz cans chopped green chiles
• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1 1/2 t dried oregano, crumbled
• 1/4 t cayenne or crushed red pepper (depending on taste)
• 3- 16 oz cans, great northern beans, drained & rinsed
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups grated monterey jack cheese
• salt
• pepper
• sour cream

Directions: 

1. Heat oil in large heavy pot to med/high.
2. Add onions & saute until translucent, about 10 minutes.
3. Add garlic, chiles, chicken, cumin, oregano, and hot pepper.
4. Saute 2 minutes.
5. Add beans and chicken broth.
6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 hours or more.
7. Add 1 cup of grated cheese.
8. Stir until thick and melted.
9. Season with salt & pepper. Serve with remaining cheese and sour cream.

Recipe shared by Karen.