Crock Pot Chicken

It's a pretty generic name, but it's some really good stuff. And I'm surprised I haven't added this recipe before! It's an old stand-by from my mama's kitchen, with a few tweaks...

3-4 large chicken breasts, frozen
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
1 medium onion, sliced
1 package fresh mushrooms, washed and quartered
1/2 c. water

Put all ingredients in Crock Pot and cook on high for 3 hours, then reduce heat to low for another 4-5 hours. Stir occasionally to mix ingredients. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Chicken Enchiladas

4-5 chicken breasts, boiled and torn into bite-size pieces
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans sliced mushrooms
1 can chopped green chilies
1 16-oz. container sour cream
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
25 small flour tortillas (or 15 large ones)

In a large bowl, combine chicken, soups, mushrooms, chilies, sour cream, jalapeno, and cheese. Mix well. Put about 2 Tbsp. filling (or more if using larger tortillas) on one side of tortilla, then roll. (Wrap individually in wax paper, then place in freezer bag to freeze.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes if thawed, 35 minutes if frozen.

Top with sour cream and shredded cheese or salsa.

Makes about 20 enchiladas, depending on tortilla size and how much filling you use for each.

*Tip: Freeze your leftover chicken broth for use in other recipes. You can season your broth by cooking onion, pepper, and celery trimmings with your chicken. This is much healthier than store-bought broth, which tends to be high in sodium.

Potato Chip Chicken

I found the original recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook I got when Billy and I got married in '92. I've since tweaked it to fit our preferences.

3-4 chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces,
OR 6-8 chicken tenders
1 1/2 c. finely crushed potato chips in the flavor of your choice
1/2 c. milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Dip chicken pieces in milk, then coat with potato chips. Arrange pieces on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

*I've used barbecue chips, regular potato chips and added my own seasoning, and Sun Chips for coatings, and they've all been delicious. Doritos would work well, too.

Chicken Pot Pie

I originally found this recipe on All Recipes, but I've since tweaked it to make it my own. It's really quick and easy! I make mine family-sized, but you can easily cut the recipe in half.

1 refrigerated pie crust
2 12-oz. bags frozen mixed vegetables
3 cups chicken, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c. milk
seasoning to taste (I use Tony Chachere's. Surprise!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook vegetables according to package directions. In large bowl, combine cooked vegetables, chicken, soup, milk, and seasoning.

Roll out crust onto wax paper. Place baking dish upside down onto crust and make an impression of it. Cut around the edge of the impression for a well-fitted top crust.

Pour chicken/vegetable mixture into baking dish; top with crust. Cut a few vent holes into the top.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve hot.

Tips:
*I boil my chicken with trimmings from onion, bell pepper, and celery. After the broth has cooled, I freeze it for later use. It's healthier than prepackaged broth.

*I don't like a bottom crust in this because it tends to be gummy. If you prefer a bottom crust, line your baking dish with one pie crust, prebake according to package directions, then fill with chicken mixture and top with remaining crust. Or you can purchase the frozen pie crusts in the pan and use those.

*For a prettier top crust, brush with melted butter before baking.

Jambalaya

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
1 lb. link sausage, sliced, browned, and drained
1 medium bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, pressed
3 c. water
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. uncooked long-grain rice
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
salt & pepper to taste

Cook chicken. Saute bell pepper, onions, and garlic with sausage until sausage is browned; drain.

In large skillet, bring water, tomato sauce, rice, and seasonings to a boil. Stir in chicken and sausage with peppers and onions. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir occasionally. Remove and discard bay leaf.

*Note: To adjust the level of spiciness, increase or decrease the amount of crushed red pepper to suit your taste. Remember though, it's better to be a little bland than too hot. You can always add a little Tabasco sauce. :o)

*For a different flavor, substitute 2-3 cups of seafood for the chicken and sausage.

Chicken Artichoke Dip

2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 can artichoke hearts (not marinated), drained and chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed
fresh jalapeno, to taste
paprika

Combine first six ingredients; put into microwave-safe bowl. Dust with paprika. Microwave on HIGH 4-5 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Serve with toasted French bread slices, tortilla chips, or crackers.

*This can also be baked in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

*Good hot or cold; also great as a sandwich spread.

Chicken Spaghetti

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut/torn into bite sized pieces
*chicken broth
1 pkg. spaghetti
1 rib celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 8-oz. pkg. fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 8-oz. container light sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup

Boil chicken; reserve broth. (*Add celery, onion, and bell pepper trimmings to water to flavor broth.)

While chicken is cooking, chop celery, onions, and bell pepper; slice mushrooms. Saute in olive oil until tender.

Remove chicken from broth; skim out trimmings. Cook spaghetti in broth according to package directions.

While spaghetti is cooking, cut up chicken. In a large bowl, mix sour cream, soups, seasonings, sauteed vegetables and chicken. Drain pasta; add to bowl and mix well.

This makes A LOT of chicken spaghetti, so be prepared to have leftovers - or invite someone over for dinner!

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

1 pkg. pizza crust mix
3 c. thinly sliced romaine lettuce
2 c. diced cooked chicken
1/2 c. sliced black olives
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. light creamy Caesar salad dressing
1 clove garlic, pressed

Mix pizza dough and bake crust completely as directed on package.

In large bowl, combine lettuce, chicken, and olives.

In small bowl, mix together salad dressing, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Brush half of mixture over crust; pour the rest over the salad mixture and toss.

Top crust with salad mixture, slice, and serve.

Yields 4 servings.

Jambalaya

A friend of mine gave me a homemade dry mix and instructions (from Southern Living, I believe) as a secret pal gift a few years ago. It tastes great! If you want to make it more "authentic" with veggies instead of seasonings, just make substitutions.

Dry mix:
1 c. uncooked long-grain rice
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1 Tbsp. green pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper, depending on your personal preference

Remainder of recipe:
3 c. water
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1 c. cooked ham or smoked sausage, diced

Bring mix, water, and tomato sauce to a boil in a large covered skillet; stir in meat.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender.

Remove and discard bay leaf.

Serves 8.

Note: If you use brown rice, your cooking time will need to be extended to 45-60 minutes, depending on the package instructions. Also, add one additional cup of water to keep jambalaya from sticking.

Chicken & Dumplings

3 large chicken breasts
3-4 quarts water
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. celery, finely chopped
1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
1 pkg. flour tortillas, cut into 2-inch squares (approximately)
season to taste (I use Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning.)

Boil chicken in water. (Add celery and onion trimmings to create a more flavorful broth.)

Remove chicken from broth and set aside to cool. Skim trimmings off broth. Stir in soup, celery, and onion. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Season to taste.

Cut or tear chicken into bite-size pieces and add to broth. Add tortilla pieces, a few at a time, pushing under broth to keep from sticking together.

Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

*This would be great with leftover turkey, too!

Chipotle Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Ingredients not measured; make pizza to suit personal taste preferences.

pizza dough
alfredo sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
shredded chicken seasoned with Pampered Chef® Chipotle Rub
sliced black olives

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out dough to about 15 inches; bake 8 minutes. Top with alfredo sauce, cheese, chicken, and olives. Bake additional 8 minutes or until crust begins to brown.

Note: My sister pointed out that most people don't mix black olives with Alfredo. Feel free to omit the olives and add more seasoned shredded chicken. Onion would be good, too.

Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Chutney

8-10 chicken tenders, thawed
3 Tbsp. Pampered Chef® Jamaican Jerk Rub, divided
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

Heat oil in skillet. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. rub evenly over both sides of chicken; cook until no longer pink, turning once.

In large bowl, combine pineapple, beans, and peppers; toss with 1 Tbsp. rub. Pour over chicken and cook 3-5 minutes or until hot throughout.

Serve immediately.

*This goes well served over a bed of brown rice, with a fresh green salad on the side.

Spinach Fruit Salad

1 bag baby spinach leaves
1 pint strawberries, washed, cored, and sliced
1 large can mandarin oranges, drained
1 large can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 c. blueberries, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. pecan halves or sliced almonds
1 Tbsp. poppyseed dressing

Gently mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve.

*Make this an awesome main dish by adding some grilled chicken strips.

If you have a nice glass bowl or trifle bowl, this makes a beautiful presentation.

I made this recipe based on a salad that Panera Bread features in the spring and summer. They use mixed greens, though, and don't take out the hard center veins in the leaves.

Tuscan Chicken

Tuscan Chicken served over angel hair pasta, garlic bread on the side

1 lb. chicken tenders
3 Tbsp. Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning Mix, divided
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can diced Italian-style tomatoes, undrained
1 can black olives, sliced
1 small pkg. mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. water
fresh grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Thaw chicken and trim fat; coat with 2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning. Heat oil in skillet and cook chicken until done. Add tomatoes and liquid, olives, mushrooms, remaining seasoning, and water. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Serve over pasta and top with cheese.

*The original recipe came from the McCormick One-Step Italian Seasoning jar, but I haven't been able to find it in several months. I copied down the recipe before I threw away my last empty container of it and have added a few ingredients here and there. My friend Kim mentioned putting Parmesan cheese on top of a similar dish that she makes. That was an "Aha!" moment. I hadn't thought of that, even though Parmesan cheese is one of my staples.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 14.5-oz. cans chicken broth
1 15-oz. can black beans, undrained
1 15-oz. can Mexican-style chili beans
1 15.5-oz. can Mexican diced tomatoes
1 10-oz. can diced Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 c. salsa
1 4-oz. can chopped green chilies
1 11-oz. can Mexicorn
1 15.5-oz. can white hominy, drained

Combine all ingredients in large stock pot; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes. Serve over tortilla chips and top with grated cheese.

*My changes: Instead of using canned chicken broth, I used the chicken stock from boiling the chicken breasts. It was more than 29 ounces, probably more like 3 quarts (96 ounces). I also added some water. Since I made it in my 8-quart stock pot, I would guess I made a total of 6 quarts of soup, including the chicken and veggies. It lasted for several days.

Since Billy doesn't like chunks of tomatoes, I used my hand mixer to blend the larger can of tomatoes. I put the Ro-Tel in as it was, but will blend them next time, too.

I used a 6-oz. or larger can of green chilies, which turned out good.

Instead of Mexicorn, I used fiesta corn and drained it. It's cheaper and has more corn in the can.

Tip: When boiling chicken, add some trimmings from onions, peppers, and celery to the water. As it cooks, it provides a good natural seasoning for the chicken and the stock. If you won't be using the stock immediately, skim out the trimmings, let the stock cool, pour it into freezer bags, and store it for later.