Cilantro Lime Chicken

1.5 pounds chicken (about 3 breasts)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 bag frozen corn
1-2 cups cilantro, chopped
juice from 2 limes
1/2 red onion (approximately 1 cup)
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste (can be added later)

Toss in slow cooker, cook on low for about 4-6 hours (will cook longer if chicken is frozen).  Serve as tacos or over tortilla chips topped with sour cream and cheese.

Grilled Lemon-Herb Chicken

1/2 - 2/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
split boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix first 7 ingredients and add to chicken.  Marinate overnight then grill to perfection.

Macaroni Grill Penne Rustica

Adapted from Your Home Based Mom

Ingredients:
12 oz. Shredded chicken breast
½ pack thick bacon
48 oz. (3 boxes) penne pasta
2 large red bell peppers- diced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp paprika

Gratinata Sauce:
2 tsp butter
2 tsp chopped garlic
1/3 cup apple juice + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar +enough chicken broth to equal 1 cup
1 tsp Dijon or dry mustard
1 tsp salt

1 tsp chopped rosemary
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream

Directions:
Sauté garlic in butter in large pan. Add apple juice, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream. Cook pasta according to directions. Cook bacon. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces. Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon, bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in pans. Top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese.

Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.
Number of Servings: Yields one 8×8 and two 9×13 casserole dishes.
Preparation Time: More than an hour

Chicken Paprikash

8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
1 each large red and green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, halved widthwise, and cut into ¼-inch strips
3½ tablespoons paprika, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ cup dry white wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
½ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley


Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 4 chicken things, skin side down, and cook without moving until skin is crisp and well-browned, about 5 minutes. using tongs, flip chicken and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer; transfer to large plate. Repeat with remaining 4 thighs and transfer to plate; set aside. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.


Add onion to fat left in Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned and peppers are softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons of paprika, flour, and marjoram and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pit; stir in tomatoes and 1 teaspoon slat. Add chicken and any accumulated juices, submerging them in vegetables; bring to a simmer, then cover and place pot in oven. Cook until chicken is no longer pink when cut into with paring knife, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from oven.


Combine sour cream and remaining ½ tablespoon paprika in small bowl. Place chicken on individual plates. Stir a few tablespoons of hot sauce into sour cream to temper, then stir mixture back into sauce in pot. Spoon sauce and peppers over chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately with buttered egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Tequila Lime Chicken

From Applebee's, via topsecretrecipes.com.


Marinade
1 cup water
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon mesquite liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup tequila

4 chicken breasts

Mexi-Ranch Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons minced tomato
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon minced canned jalapeno slices
1 teaspoon minced onion
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon Tobasco
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cumin
dash garlic powder
dash ground black pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar/jack cheese blend
2 cups crumbled tortilla chips or fried tortilla strips

Prepare marinade by combining marinade ingredients. Add chicken and chill for 2 to 3 hours (not more, or the lime juice may toughen your chicken).

Make the Mexi-ranch dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix will until smooth, then cover and chill until needed.

When  you are ready to prepare the entree, preheat the oven to high broil. Also, preheat you grill to high heat. When the grill is hot, cook the marinated chicken breasts for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until they're done.

Arrange the cooked chicken in a baking pan. Spread a layer of dressing over each piece of chicken (you'll have plenty left over), followed by 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese blend. Broil the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or just until the cheese has melted.

Spread a bed of 1/2 cup of the tortilla strips or crumbled tortilla chips on each of four plates. Slide a chicken breast onto the chips on each plate and serve with your choice of rice, and pico de gallo or salsa.

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

4-5 flour tortillas, torn
8 ounces sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (4-ounce) can green chiles
2 cups (approx) shredded chicken, or a (10-ounce) can of chunk chicken
Shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients except cheese in a bowl. Spray an 8x8 glass pan. Spread mixture evenly in pan. Bake, covered, for about 25 minutes. Uncover, top with shredded cheese, and bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Poppy Seed Chicken

8 chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
3 cups Pepperidge Farm Dressing (Not "Cubed," the bread chunks are too big.)
2-3 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 sticks butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks. Brown in a hot skillet. Spread across the bottom of a 9x13 casserole, or 2 8x8s.

Mix soup and sour cream; pour over top of chicken.

Mix together dressing, poppy seeds, and melted butter. Spread over top of soup.

Bake 30 minutes until bubbly throughout.

Lori's Baked Chicken

1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. white pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs*
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
1 c. cream, or 3/4 c. evaporated milk (for low fat version)
1 clove minced garlic
Chopped parsley

Mix salt, paprika, and white pepper. Thoroughly rub mixture into chicken pieces. Place chicken in one layer in shallow baking dish or pan. Dilute soup with cream/milk and mix in a clove of minced garlic, pour over chicken; sprinkle with parsley. Bake uncovered at 350 for 1½ hours.

Makes 6 servings.

**Reduce cooking time if substituting breasts.

Chicken Satay

Serves 6.


2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
½ cup soy sauce
Juice of ½ lemon or lime (about 1½ tbsp fresh)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons curry powder (can use less)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cubed or cut into strips

In a mixing bowl, combine marinade ingredients. Stir in chicken to coat and refrigerate. Let the chicken  marinate for at least 2 hours or even overnight. Preheat grill to high heat. Weave chicken onto skewers, then grill about 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Chicken Marsala

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour for coating
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
½ tablespoon chives
1 cup Marsala wine
½ cup cooking sherry
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup heavy cream


In a gallon freezer bag, mix together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Add chicken breasts to bag, one at a time. Pound to approximately ¼-inch thick, then coat in flour mixture.

In a large skillet, melt butter and oil over medium heat. Place chicken in the pan, and brown on each side. Remove chicken to plate. Saute mushrooms and chives. Pour in Marsala wine, sherry and chicken broth. Reduce by a third; thicken the sauce with a flour and water slurry. Reduce heat to low, then add cream. Season to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve with noodles.

Buffalo Chicken Wings

~10 wing portions
1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1/8 tsp. salt

Mix the dry ingredients and coat the wings. Put in a container, cover, and refigerate for 60-90 minutes. The flour will mix with the juices and get a little gummy. This is what you want. Skip this step and they just won't turn out right. You have two options for cooking. Traditionally, fry in 375 degree oil for 10-12 minutes. If you want to cut down on the calories and oil, bake in the oven at 450 degress for 40-45 minutes, flipping the wings halfway through. I decided to bake them. I used a cooling rack on a rimmed cookie sheet.

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup hot sauce (if you want the real taste, use Frank's hot sauce)
dashes of pepper and garlic powder

Melt the butter and add the hot sauce. This proportion is for a medium hotness. If you want mild, use more butter and less hot sauce (or vice versa if you want hotter - you can also add powdered cayenne pepper). Mix the wings with the sauce in a large bowl and enjoy. Serve with celery and blue cheese dressing.

Arroz con Pollo y Frijoles

This recipe is easy, inexpensive, and our whole family loves it! I use a greater proportion of rice and beans to chicken than the original recipe calls for. My recipe below feeds our family dinner, with leftover rice and beans. But if you're serving more people (or your kids eat more than mine) go to this link for the original recipe that calls for 2½ pounds of chicken. Also, I substitute diced tomatoes for Rotel, since my kids are pretty sensitive to spicy foods.

1 pound chicken thighs
1 teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup long-grain rice
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1½ cups chicken broth
1 16-ounce can refried beans
½ cup shredded Jack cheese

Season chicken with garlic salt and pepper. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Place chicken, skin side down, in skillet and brown over medium-high heat for 7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove chicken from skillet.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from skillet. Add rice and brown over medium heat for about 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add tomatoes and broth; blend well. Place chicken on top of rice. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.

Drop beans by tablespoonfuls into the rice; sprinkle cheese onto rice and beans. Heat for 5 minutes, or until beans are hot and cheese has melted. Serve with chicken.

Chicken Ham Rolls

6 slices ham

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons parsley

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup saltine crackers (crushed)

1/4 cup water

1 egg

1 1/2 cup shredded chicken

1/2 pound cheese

Mix up all ingredients except for ham. Roll up the mixture inside the ham, and place in a shallow baking pan. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, removing foil for the last 5 minutes.

Lemon Butter Chicken

The ingredients are incredibly simple, but left to marinate for a few hours, this chicken is some of the most flavorful I've had!

Ingredients

1 stick margarine

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

Melt all ingredients together and marinate chicken. Grill or bake.

Suddenly Dinner

1 box Suddenly Salad, any flavor except Chipotle

1/2 cup mayonaisse

6 to 8 strips of bacon

1 to 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 red pepper, chopped

spinach

Prepare pasta salad as directed, but do not rinse with cold water. Meanwhile, cook bacon and remove from pan along with excess drippings. Saute' red peppers in the bacon pan and cut bacon into bite-size pieces. Mix together pasta, dressing, and the remaining ingredients and serve warm. Serves 4 to 6.

Firehouse Chicken Parmesan

Recipe from the Ogden City (Utah) Fire Department

1 or 2 eggs
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 jar marinara sauce
Mushrooms
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Fettuccine noodles
Parsley

Beat eggs together in a pie pan. Combine breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and garlic powder in another pie pan. Butterfly the chicken breasts. Dip chicken into egg, then into crumb mixture. Heat butter and olive oil in large skillet. Cook chicken just until both sides are brown.

Lightly coat a 9x13" Pyrex with marinara sauce. Place the browned chicken in pan and cover with marinara (leaving enough to put on fettuccine). Top with mushrooms and Parmesan. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes.

Cook fettuccine accourding to package directions. Top with remaining marinara. Add mozzarella to chicken and melt, about 5 minutes. Top with parsley and enjoy!

Chicken and Wild Rice Salad

1 package wild rice cooked and cooled
2 shredded chicken breasts
1/2 to 1 lb sliced mushrooms
1 package Spinach leaves
2 green onions, sliced
1 large tomato diced

Dressing
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Mix dressing together and pour over salad mixture. Chill before serving.

Asparagus and Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breast

4 chicken breasts
12 trimmed asparagus spears
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
lemon pepper seasoning

Preheat oven to 350°F. Pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet to flatten. Place 3 trimmed asparagus spears in the center of each breast and top each with 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese. Bring in sides of chicken and tie in 1 or 2 places with kitchen string. Season to taste with lemon pepper seasoning and place in a baking dish. Add 1/4-inch of water to dish; cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove cover and cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Makes 4 servings

Spinach Enchiladas

Make without chicken for a great vegetarian dish.
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
½ cup sliced green onions
1 (9 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain (I used the Green Giant spinach that is in a cream sauce, just thawed, no draining)
1½ cups cooked shredded chicken
1 cup low-fat small curd cottage cheese
½ cup light sour cream
6 ounces (1½ cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas (heated)
1 (10 ounce) can mild red enchilada sauce
sliced green onions for garnish (optional)

Heat oven to 375. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup green onions; cook and stir 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add spinach and chicken; cook 1 minute or until warm, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in cottage cheese, sour cream and 1 cup of the cheese. Spoon ¼ cup filling down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam side down, in ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce evenly over tortillas; sprinkle with remaining cheese.Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with sliced green onions if desired.

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

from the Lion House Cookbook

½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup flour
3 teaspoons chicken soup base (or about 5 bouillon cubes, omit salt)
3 cans chicken broth
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery (include leaves)
¾ cup chopped onion
2 cans cream of chicken soup
¼ cup evaporated milk or ½ cup whole milk
2 cups cooked diced chicken
4 cups cooked noodles
salt and pepper to taste

Make roux by melting butter in saucepan. Add flour. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Set aside.

Heat soup base and broth together in large saucepan. Add carrots, celery and onions and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add cream of chicken soup and milk. Thicken with roux as desired. Add cooked chicken and cooked noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 2½ quarts.