Chicken Nacho (or Enchilada) Soup

Really, how lazy can I be--but I knew that I wouldn't want to go upstairs and find the recipe after I had sat down at the computer.  So, here's the skinny on it--I double it, minus the milk, you can add as much or as little milk as you like, beacuse I love mine thick and creamy, but I usually only put one can of chicken (I really prefer my own bottled chicken to anything from the store, and this would be a pint or half a quart) and then we crumble tortilla chips on top!! LOVE LOVE LOVE This!  The ease, the flavor, I don't know which is greater!!

So quick, So easy, So Yummy, thank you, thank you to my big sister for sharing this recipe, it has become one of my FAVORITE soup recipes, EVER!!

Chicken Broccoli Braid

Original Recipe Yield 6 servings

 

Ingredients

This barely makes enough for our family, so I usually buy more rolls and do two, the quart of chicken and a little extra of the rest of the ingredients makes it plenty.  THIS IS SOOOOO YUMMY!!

• 2 cups diced, cooked chicken meat  (Once again I use my bottle chicken off the shelf of the pantry)
• 1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 clove crushed garlic (or about a teaspoon or half of powder depending on your tastes)
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons dried dill weed (?  I don't have dillweed on hand and have never added it)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds  (love the almonds, they add a little crunch!)
• 1/4 cup diced onion (Usually throw in a bit of dried because it is quick and easy)
• 2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 egg white, beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees F).
2. In a large bowl, toss together chicken, broccoli, red bell pepper, garlic, Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed, salt, almonds and onion.
3. Unroll crescent roll dough, and arrange flat on a medium baking sheet. Pinch together perforations to form a single sheet of dough. Using a knife or scissors, cut 1 inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread the chicken mixture along the center strip. Fold the side strips over chicken mixture, alternating strips from each side. Pinch or twist to seal.
4. Brush braided dough with the egg white. Bake in the preheated oven 25 to 28 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chicken or Pork and Cabbage Stir Fry

Okay, if you don't know it yet, I love, love, love Asian food, especially Chinese, and here is a simple and easy cabbage stiry fry that I added a quart bottle of chicken to, along with bean sprouts and topped with crunchy chinese noodles.  Once again I found the base recipe on allrecipes, but I am not sure if I have ever made a recipe without somehow changing, adapting, or adopting something else into it or out of--I guess that is why I enjoy cooking so much, because I can make it however I want!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound shredded cabbage (I used about 1 head)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) (I use apple cider vinegar)
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 quart shredded chicken
• 1 can bean sprouts
• We use brown rice for a base, but you can use white if that is what you eat, or some kind of chinese noodles?
• Top with crunchy noodles

Directions

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook for a few seconds until it begins to brown. Stir in the cabbage until it is coated in oil; cover the wok, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the soy sauce, and cook and stir for another minute. Increase the heat to high, and stir in the Chinese cooking wine. Cook and stir until the cabbage is tender, about 2 minutes more. You may need to increase the liquids, add the onion first, then the cabbage and then the sprouts and chicken to heat through, you can also use a bit of cornstarch and broth to thicken a bit!

Sweet & Spicy Thai Stir Fry & Noodles

About 8 or 9 years ago Mongolian BBQ opened it's doors in SG and we have been big fans ever since.  They recognize us when we come in, even though we live out of state and only get to eat there a few times a year (we think its our children that are so memorable.)  Anyway, this reminded me lots of it and it has been a favorite since I found it.  Sweet Chili Sauce is in the oriental section of the grocery store and has been a love of mine since I was a teenager.  I keep it on hand for dipping egg rolls and sausage-cheese balls, and recipes like this.  I also was looking for recipes to use cabbage in.  I used a bag of frozen stir-fy veggies and half a head of sliced cabbage in place of the veggies in the recipe, I have also used pork and/or chicken, thin sliced.  My kids LOVE the noodles, though I do reserve a little less sauce than it calls for to even out the bit of spice.  Happy Eating!

Original Recipe Yield 6 servings

 

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dry Chinese noodles
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3/4 cup sweet chili sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (1 pound) pork loin, cut into 2-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 onions, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 3 cups chopped napa cabbage
• 3/4 cup sliced celery
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 3 red bell peppers, chopped
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the Chinese noodles, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
2. Whisk together the 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 3/4 cup sweet chili sauce, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, the ground ginger, and the sesame oil in a large bowl; add the drained Chinese noodles and toss to coat; set aside
3. Whisk together the 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in a large bowl; add the pork and stir to coat. Allow to marinate 5 minutes.
4. Heat the cooking oil in a wok or a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, onions, and red pepper flakes to the oil; cook until the pork is browned completely. Stir in 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce, the napa cabbage, celery, carrots, and bell peppers; cook and stir until vegetables are completely heated, about 5 minutes. Whisk together the cornstarch and water and add to the stir fry, stirring until the mixture thickens. Serve the stir-fry over the noodles.

Another Twist on Chicken Enchiladas......

(Yay, I found a picture to add!!)

Okay, so I failed to get a pic of this, but since I am so far behind on posting I decided to go ahead and get it on here--I did not have cream cheese that night and so I used sour cream, I only used one can of chili's, though it about broke my heart, but I knew that the first can would be hard enough for my rugrats to swallow, whcih is was.  I also used canned milk, not skim, and green enchilada sauce since it didn't specifiy, though I wonder if next time I should try red.  I am also a believer in bottling chicken, so I used a quart of my home-bottled chicken and broth which is awesome and easy.  It was yummy, could have used a little more kick, next time I will try to spice it up just a bit more.

Mexican C hicken Casserole

BECKY LUIGART-STAYNER

Zesty, creamy and loaded with chicken, it's no wonder why this Mexican chicken casserole is one of our top-rated recipes.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup) .

Ingredients

·                                 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

·                                 2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, divided

·                                 1 3/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts

·                                 2 teaspoons olive oil

·                                 1 cup chopped onion

·                                 1 cup evaporated skim milk

·                                 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

·                                 1/4 cup (2 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese

·                                 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce

·                                 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

·                                 Cooking spray

·                                 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese

·                                 1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (about 6 chips)

Preparation

·                                 Combine broth and 1 can of chiles in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Add chicken; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, reserving cooking liquid; cool chicken. Shred meat with two forks, and set aside.

·                                 Preheat oven to 350°.

·                                 Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 can of chiles and onion; sauté 3 minutes or until soft. Add reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterey Jack, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce; stir well. Stir in shredded chicken; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

·                                 Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Stuffed Chicken and Pasta

This is known as 'Chicken Eileen" on the allrecipes site--1 pkg of stuffing mix prepared and 8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, and 16 slices of mozzarella.

Pound out the chichekn to 1/2 inch thick and place a slice of cheese and scoop of stuffing on each breast before closing with toothpicks.  Top each with the other slices of cheese.  Bake in a greased 9 x 13 --the recipe said 25 minutes at 350, it took me 15 minutes longer and I upped the last 50 minutes to 375.

Then, I needed a side dish, so here is what I came up with, thinking my family would maybe hate it....SURPRISE!!!  THEY LOVED IT!

Tiny pasta shells, I guess a 16 oz bag?  I am so bad at recipes, since I just throw everything in.  Cook according to package.  Then I sprinled a bunch of pramesan cheese--and I only had the dried, in the shaker.  Then, I added a bag of frozen corn (I think when we froze it from the garden last year that I put three cups in each bag).  I used garlic salt and pepper to my liking and tossed it in olive oil over low heat.  Can I say YUM one more time!

Pizza and Breadsticks, Our Favorite--OH YUM!

Okay, this is an at least once a month staplein our home--and a request by family when they come to visit .  I love to make pizza and breadsticks, almost as much as I love to eat it and am pretty prejudice about my pizza versus most other kinds whether from a restaraunt or store.

Here's the breadstick recipe:

Breadsticks

3 C Warm Water

2 Tbsp Yeast

4 Tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Salt

6 C Flour

　

Mix and rest 10 minutes.

Melt ½ cube of butter. Now you can either pour the butter onto two jelly roll pans, or save it to brush on. Sometimes (this is the quickest method) I divide dough into tow halves and roll each half the size of the pan, put it on the pan in the butter, flip it over, so it gets butter on the top, then sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese from the shaker. After that I take a pizza cutter and cut down the middle length-wise and in one-two in strips width-wise. When I am ambitious, I cut into strips, twist, put on the pan, brush with butter, and sprinkle with salt and cheese. These kind are better spaced apart from each other. They then rise for 19 minutes in an oven that was warmed to 200 degrees and then shut off. At the end of the 19 minutes turn the oven on to 375 and bake for 20 minutes.

Now, onto the pizza!!  For the pizza I follow the same recipe for the dough as the breadsticks.  I can get two deep dish pizzas on cookie sheets, or one deep dish and a pan of breadsticks and a small (round) thinner crust pizza out of one batch., or two large rounds and one smaller.
Barbeque Chicken Pizza

I fry sliced onion and green pepper on the stove first, then use my favorite BBQ sauce for the pizza sauce.  After that comes the onions and peppers and diced or shredded chicken and mozzarella.

Hawaiian and Sausage Pizza's

Hawaiian is of course done with canadian bacon and tidbit pineapple, so that takes up one half  and our kids love country-style sausage browned and put on their half.

'Cowboy' Pizza

Stealing the name from Papa Murphy's my parents were coming out one time and my mom said that my dad liked the 'cowboy' kind, so I did what I could with what I had and now it is a favorite.  It has pepperoni, sausage, diced olives and canned mushrooms.  Even for people who might not like olives or mushrooms, it is wirth a try!!

 More favorites are:

Chicken Alfredo:

Alfredo as the sauce, shredded chicken and mozzarella, sprinkled with parmesan and diced green onion.

Pepperoni:

Lots of pepperoni, lots of cheese!

Taco:

Refried beans are used instead of sauce, ground beef or chicken, and cheese, you can use onions, tomatos, peppers, whatever floats your boat.  Top with sour cream, salsa and shredded lettuce, too!

Valentine's Day Dinner



Chicken Chili and Cornmeal Dumplings....

Always a staple in winter time, Chili can sometimes take a lot of time, but this is quick, easy, and VERY yummy....even my kids like it!

2 C. Cut up Chicken (I use bottled, 1/2 a quart)

1 Can (15 oz) Tomato Sauce

2 cans (15 oz) Chili Beans in Sauce (I just use our regular Western Family chili)

1 Can (7 oz) Corn, undrained (I use a bag of semi-thawed, frozen corn anywhere from 2-3 cups)

1 1/2 C Bisquick

1/2 C Cornmeal

2/3 C Milk
1/2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
In a 4 quart pot, mix chicken and tomato sauce.  Heat to boiling and then reduce, covering and simmering for 5 minutes.  Stir in chili and corn and heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low.

In a bowl, mix bisquick, cornmeal, and milk into soft dough.  Drop by spoonfuls into hot pot, about 12 spoonfuls, and then cook uncovered for 10 minutes before covering and cooking for 10 more.  Sprinkle with cheese, cover and cook for about 3 more minutes and VIOLA!  Dinner-time! 

About 6 servings.  (From BettyCrocker.com)