Baked Chicken Fajitas

I found this recipe and picture on Pinterest.  It comes from Six Sisters Stuff.  It looked really quick and easy and that is definitely a good thing in my life right now.  

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced
2 T vegetable oil
2 t. chili powder
2 t. cumin
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. salt
12 flour tortillas, warmed to serve

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13×9 baking dish. Mix together chicken, tomatoes, chilies, peppers, and onions in the dish.

In a small bowl combine the oil and spices. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and toss to coat.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

Serve with warmed tortillas and enjoy!

Now that I have energy and feel better, I have been cooking a lot more and finding new stuff on Pinterest to cook.  These were really easy and yummy.  I altered the recipe a bit to make it  healthier.

1  box jumbo pasta shells
water for boiling pasta
4oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz. plain yogurt
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/4 cup for topping
prepared pesto, add as much or as little as you like
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
salt and pepper to taste


In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.

Slow-cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Okay, so I love Pinterest.  I have found some real winners as far as recipes go.  This one is one of them from Polish the Stars.  It is so simple, goes in the crockpot, and makes you feel really great when you eat it.  I have made this recipe quite a few times and my kids can't get enough.  I was worried that the biscuits wouldn't be good, but they hold their flakiness in the dish.  It is not the most health conscience, but on these cold windy Idaho days it is awesome.

1lb of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (3-5)
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 cans (10.5oz) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can (14oz) Chicken Broth (I use two cans so I can add more biscuits)
1 medium White Onion, diced
4 Large Flaky Refrigerator Biscuits  (I use a whole can)

Place chicken in crock pot and top with butter. Add cream of chicken soup, chicken broth and diced onions. Cook on High for 4-6 hours.  Remove chicken from crock pot and use a fork to shred. Return chicken to the crock pot. Cut each uncooked biscuit into 9 pieces and stir into the chicken mixture. Continue to cook on High for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Makes about 6-8 servings.

Baked Creamy Taquitos

This was a recipe I saw on Pinterest.  It came from Our Best Bites.  It looked really easy and simple.  I did find that I used more chicken and cheese than the recipe called for and so I had to double the sauce.  They were delicious.  My 18 month old, who doesn't have a very adventureous appetite, loved these.  She ate a whole one by herself. 

1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup grated pepperjack cheese (I just used shredded colby jack and it was still delicious)
about 12 small corn or flour tortillas (I used whole wheat flour tortillas)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.  Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder and mix well. Add cilantro, green onions, chicken and pepperjack cheese and combine well.

The corn tortillas are harder to roll without cracking. For the corn tortillas: work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.  Place 3 Tablespoons of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Makes around 12 taquitos.  We dipped our taquitos in a green salsa/sour cream mix.

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

I love love love recipes that have a few ingredients and can be easily be prepared.  This is one of those recipes. I found it on The Girl Who Ate Everything and I couldn't resist.   It was so tasty and a quick inexpensive meal. 

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (if you don't have fresh use around 2 teaspoons of dried parsley)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
12 slider buns or 4-6 regular sized hamburger buns  (I used multi-grain ciabatta rolls from Sam's Club)

Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

 Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Place chicken on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds, discarding any fat.

Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. I really make sure that I discard any fat pieces so by the time I was done I only used about 1/2 cup of dressing but you make need more if you have more chicken. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.

Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve.  

**I added fresh tomato to the sandwich.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I got this recipe from the Pioneer woman.  I adjusted it a little to fit my life.  It was good.  My kids were on the fence because they don't like spice, but it can easily be adjusted for your spiciness level.   It was a good dish to indulge in.



3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
1 pound Fettuccine or linguine  (I used whole grain)
1 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
1/2 whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 cup White Cooking Wine (If you don't want to use the wine, just add more broth)
1 cup Heavy cream
Cayenne Pepper To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
Salt To Taste
Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Place chicken in crockpot and season with cajun seasoning.  Cook in crockpot on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 hours.  take out of the crockpot and shred.  Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Add olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

We have been so busy at our house lately that I have been using my crockpot almost 3-5 times per week.  It has been my sanity at dinnertime.  I found this recipe at a Year of Slow Cooking and I adapted it a little for my family.

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey

Put the chicken into your crockpot. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly over the top.  Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4.  Shred or slice the chicken and serve with rice and steamed or roasted vegetables.

Cuban Chicken Salad

I saw this recipe on The Happy Housewife.  I altered her recipe a little to fit into my life.   This recipe is so easy and so good.  My kids will eat this everytime!  It is perfect for these hot days we have been having lately.

Cuban Chicken Salad

1 Head romaine lettuce
1 Can black beans
1 Can corn
1 Bunch green onions

Dressing:

2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/4 Cup cilantro
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put chicken in crockpot seasoned with your choice of spices.  I like mexican flavored spices to season the chicken for this recipe (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red chili flakes).  Cook chicken on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.  After chicken is done shred with a fork.  In a bowl combine the black beans, corn, and onions. Toss 2 T. of the dressing with black bean mixture.  On a bed of lettuce spoon the black bean mixture then top with chicken.

To make the dressing combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender.   Top the salad with the dressing and serve.

Beef Pepperoncini Sandwiches

I had a roast that I needed to use and I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen.  It was so easy and so good!    I couldn't believe how much flavor it had and I ate way more than I should have.  I also made this recipe again and substituted the beef for chicken.  It was equally delicious!

4 pounds Beef Pot/Rump Roast
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 jar Pepperoncini's, sliced
Italian Hoagie Rolls
Sliced or shredded cheese of your choice
Mayonnaise

With a sharp knife, puncture holes around roast multiple times. After each time you pull the knife out, use your finger to stuff the garlic deep into the roast. If you love garlic make lots of punctures, if not then do less.

Place the roast into a crock pot. Dump juices from the pepperoncini jar over the roast.  Throw the sliced pepperoncini’s in the crockpot with the beef and juice.
Cook roast on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours until you can easily shred the beef.  Toast rolls.  Add cheese and mayo if desired. Fill with beef and enjoy warm.

South Indian Style Chicken Curry

I saw this recipe on Good Things Utah.  I love curry and I thought the peanut butter and coconut was a nice touch.  This was really delicious and it made a ton.  My kids loved it too.

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. oil
½ yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. chopped fresh ginger
2 cups water
½ cup unsweetened coconut
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cardamom
¼ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. turmeric
½ cup yogurt
1 Tbsp. lime juice
Salt to taste
1 jalapeño pepper, minced (optional)

In an 6 qt (or larger) stock pot combine oil and onions over medium low heat. Cook until onions start to turn translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.  Add water, chicken, jalapeño and cover. Simmer until chicken is cooked through.  In a frying pan over medium heat, add coconut and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently throughout the cooking. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cumin, black pepper, turmeric, yogurt and lime juice.  Once chicken is completely cooked, add peanut/coconut mixture to the chicken and stir well.  Add salt to taste before serving.

**I doubled everything except the chicken, onion,  and jalapeno.

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

I am kind of going through a coconut obsession right now.  The bags of coconut creme kisses I have downed could prove that.  These chicken fingers from Our Best Bites are awesome.  They are crispy and they have a little kick from the curry and the cayenne.  My five year old ate four of them.  He kept begging for more!  Port ate them over a salad with a honey dijon dressing.  They were delicious!!

12 chicken tenders
2 eggs
1/2 C flour
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
1 C panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (you can leave this out if you want to skip the spice for the kiddos)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Give coconut a rough chop so it’s about the same size as the panko pieces.  Combine it with Panko and spices in a shallow dish. Mix well to distribute all of the spices.  Place the flour in another shallow dish, and the egg in another. Give the egg a quick beating.  Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge in flour.  Dip in egg.  Finally coat in the coconut Panko mixture. Press in with your fingers to make sure the entire thing is well coated. 

Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake in your 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. Tenders can be overcooked easily, so watch them closely.  The coconut will be nice and golden and the panko crisp, but light in color still.

Raspberry-Basalmic Glazed Chicken



This was a nice simple recipe.  I saw this on a website call Recipe Exchange.  I didn't want to spend the extra money for seedless raspberry preserves, but I wish I would have.  The seeds were the only thing I didn't like about this chicken.  It had great flavor.

1 tsp vegetable oil
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt divided
4 chicken breast halves
1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp pepper

Heat oil in a large nonstick skilled coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion; sautee 5 minutes. Combine thyme and 1/4 tsp salt; sprinkle over chicken. Add chicken to skillet; sautee 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 1/4 tsp salt, preserves, vinegar, and pepper, stirring constantly until the preserves melt. Spoon raspberry sauce over sliced chicken. Makes 4 servings.

Chicken Cheese Steaks

2-3 Boneless skinless chicken breast
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red or yellow pepper, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 lb. button mushrooms, sliced
sliced pepperjack cheese
hoagie rolls or sandwich thins

Place chicken in crockpot, season with desired seasonings, (I used garlic powder, salt, pepper, and ginger) and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8.  Shred chicken when finished cooking.  Place veggies in nonstick skillet with a little butter or oil.  Cook until tender.  Mix chicken in with veggies to get hot.  Place chicken and veggies on desired bread choice and top with slice of cheese.  I would toast my sandwich in the broiler until melted.  Enjoy!

Maple-Pecan Chicken

This was a good breaded chicken recipe.  It is slightly sweet, but just the right amount.

From The Double Dipped Life

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup maple syrup
2 TB mayonnaise
1/2 cup Panko crumbs (a lighter, crunchier bread crumb. Found by the regular bread crumbs in the baking aisle.)
1/2 cup finely chopped Salty pecans.

Heat oven to 400. Line baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.  Between pieces of waxed paper, or in a ziploc bag, place each chicken breast smooth side down. Gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin to about 1/2 inch thick. This will make the chicken cook evenly.  In a shallow dish, mix together the maple syrup and mayo. In another dish, mix together panko and pecans. Dip chicken into syrup mixture, and then into the panko. Place on baking sheet. Spray top of chicken with cooking spray.  Bake 15-20 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear and coating is golden brown.

Ginger-Orange Glazed Chicken Wings

In Utah there is a fun show called Good Things Utah.  They have a segment which is local recipes either from restaurants or from bloggers.  I found this recipe on their website.  It is from a local BBQ restaurant called Q4U.  I thought these wings looked delicious and they didn't disappoint.  My kids loved them and they were covered in sauce when they got done!  I am pretty sure these will be on our Superbowl menu.

2 lbs. (24) chicken wings
½ C. orange concentrate juice
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
¼ cup Hoisin sauce (I just used regular BBQ sauce)
1 Tbsp. canola oil
¼ cup sugar
3 Tbsp. fresh ginger minced
3 fresh garlic cloves
3 scallions, slivered

Grill chicken wings until juices run clear.  Combine all ingredients mix well and add to pan except for chicken and scallions.  Place pan over medium heat.  Stir constantly when sauce begins to simmer, and add chicken wings when it begins to boil.  Coat chicken wings with sauce and remove pan from heat. Plate and dress with scallions and serve.  

Spicy Honey Chicken

I just got this recipe off of Our Best Bites and adapted it for our situation.  I just discovered this site and I love it.  This chicken was so easy and it was delicious.  We ate it on a salad and we didn't need much else besides the lettuce and the chicken.

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 t vegetable oil

Rub:
2 t granulated garlic
2 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t cumin

Glaze:
1/2 C Honey
1T Cider Vinegar

Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.  Use kitchen shears to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Place chicken in ziploc bag and add oil and spices.  Make sure chicken is thoroughly coated.  Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.  I used my George Forman.  While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it's not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2T honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.  Drizzle the extra glaze on the chicken just before serving.

Ginger Chicken w/ Shitake and Button Mushrooms

I found this recipe on Sook Cook  and adapted it for what we needed or could find.  In an effort to eat more healthy after a month of complete, unashamed, blissful holiday binging, this recipe seemed to have a lot of flavor and not a lot of junk in it!  It did not disappoint.  All my kids ate it and Port asked me later how hard it would be for me to make the sauce for him to take to work.  I consider that a success.

2 tablespoons oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2-inch gingerroot, finely chopped
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, thawed and diced
2 cups shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup button mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice wine or mirin  (I didn't have this so I used chicken broth)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, cut into 2-inch long pieces
rice sticks, cooked

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir well. When the garlic starts to get golden brown, add the chicken and stir well. Once the chicken starts to cook (about 5-7 minutes after), stir in with the shitake and button mushrooms and continue to cook, about 3-5 minutes. Add the sauce ingredients: soy sauce, rice wine (or mirin), and brown sugar. Continue to cook until the mushrooms soften or reach your desired texture, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water and stir well to mix. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the skillet and stir well, until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the cilantro and green onions and serve with rice stick noodles.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

One of these days I will charge my camera battery and can actually take pictures of some of these dishes.  This was so easy and super tasty.  My kids loved it.

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

6 pieces Frozen Chicken
16 ounces, weight Sour Cream
1 package (1 Oz. Package) Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 cans (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Mushroom Soup
Your Choice Of Noodles

In a slow cooker, add all of the chicken. In a separate bowl, add the sour cream, onion mix, and soup.
Pour mixture over the frozen chicken in the crockpot. Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours. When there is about an hour left, start boiling the noodle of choice.  Take chicken out and shred.  Add chicken and drained noodles back to the crock pot when noodles are done cooking. Mix well.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Every Thanksgiving when we are at my in-laws we have soup bowls and a chicken and wild rice soup.  We usually buy it frozen from a local pizza place.  It is expensive, but good.  I decided to try making it this year.  We had to feed quite a few people and so I doubled the recipe.  It made a ton.   The almonds in it are delicious.  My mother-in-law hid the leftovers so she could have them the next day.

From Kitchen Cafe

½ cup butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
½ – 1 cup frozen corn
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup carrots, sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
¾ cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups nonfat half-and-half (use normal half-and-half if you prefer, but you won’t believe how delicious this is with the nonfat variety!)

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery, corn, chicken and carrots and sauté for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. Add the mushrooms and sauté 3-4 more minutes. Then add flour and stir well. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Bring the soup just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer, while stirring, for 5-6 minutes, until it has thickened slightly.

Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow all the ingredients to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half. Let the soup gently simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The soup should not boil but should simmer over low heat so that it thickens slowly.

Red Chicken Curry

This was really good.  It was spicy and had great curry flavor.

From Prudence Pennywise

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tablespoons flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
3 tablespoons apricot jam or mango chutney
chopped cilantro, for serving
hot rice, for serving

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and peppers and cook for four minutes. Add chicken and cook until chicken is browned on all sides. Sprinkle chicken with flour and stir for one minute. Add ginger and garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add paste and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Stir in jam and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve over rice.