Chicken Taco Casserole

Cook's Note:  This is a Weight Watchers friendly recipe that I found on Pinterest. It was easy to make and delightfully tasty. I would compare it to Loaded Nachos! And who doesn't love that? I suggest you give it a try... its yummy! I have changed the recipe only slightly to fit my tastes. According to the original recipe poster Slap Dash Mom, this is only 7 points plus per serving. Serves 6. 

What You Will Need: 

2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded

1 packet taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water mixed together
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup whole grain tortilla chips, crushed and divided
1 cup shredded Mexican Shredded cheese
1 cup salsa
1 can black beans, drained

Non-fat or low-fat sour cream for topping

Directions: 

Pre-cook chicken breasts in a skillet with 1 packet of taco seasoning and water (about 4 minutes each side). Add onion and bell pepper to chicken mixture and saute. Once cooked completely, shred chicken and set this mixture aside. 

Pre-Heat Oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large glass casserole dish, line bottom of dish with half of the tortilla chips (you are going to layer this like a lasagna). Add 1/2 of chicken mixture, next layer 1/2 of the beans, 1/2 of the salsa, and 1/2 of  the cheese. Now create the layer mixture again: Chips, Chicken mixture, beans, salsa and top with remaining cheese. 

Bake for about 20 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream for a delicious dinner. 

This "Pinspiration" comes from: Slap Dash Mom

Crunchy Baked Chicken Parmesan

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Cook's Note: You will be suprised at the secret ingredient in this recipe... it's RICE KRISPIE cereal. This was a very light and delicious chicken recipe that I will make again and again. A big hit in my house!

What You Will Need: 

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Cup of Crispy Rice Cereal (crushed) 

1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 tsp Garlic Sea Salt

1 tsp Ground Black Pepper

2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese (Such as Kraft)

2 Eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 Jar of Pasta Sauce

1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large glass casserole or baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (I always use Coconut Oil Cooking Spray).

In a large bowl, mix together crispy rice cereal, seasonings and cheese and set aside. 

In a separate bowl place beaten eggs and dredge each chicken breast in the egg, then coat thoroughly in the cereal mixture and place each coated chicken breast into the baking dish. 

Bake for 25 minutes or until crispy brown. Remove dish from oven, top the chicken with pasta sauce and sprinkle the shredded cheese across the chicken and bake for an additional 5 minutes. 

Serve with angel hair pasta or with a nice side salad and garlic bread. 

Enjoy!

This Recipe was Born in Virginia, in my kitchen! 

Broccoli Slaw Chicken Salad

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Cook's Note: I love broccoli slaw and I saw this recipe on Pinterest and thought I'd give it a try - I wanted something yummy, healthy and DIFFERENT and this seemed to fit the bill. I really liked this recipe and hope you will try it! This is similar to our Chinese Ramen Noodle Chicken Salad recipe, the only difference is that this recipe uses broccoli slaw instead of cabbage and also a different oil. Who doesn't love salad?
 

What You Will Need:

2 Packages of Ramen Noodles (Chicken Flavor)

2-3 Small Chicken Breasts (cooked and chopped or shredded)

1 package Broccoli Slaw

1/2 cup Slivered Almonds (toasted in a pan)

1/4 Cup Sunflower Seeds

1/2 bunch of green onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup Sugar

3/4 cup Vegetable Oil

1/3 White Vinegar
 

Directions:

In a large bowl (with lid) ....crush the ramen noodles in the package by squeezing and breaking the pieces. Open the package and dump the crushed up noodles in the bowl (take out the flavor packs and set aside - you will use only ONE package of the flavoring). Add in chicken, broccoli slaw, almonds, sunflower seeds, green onions.

 

In another bowl mix together one packet of the chicken flavor, sugar, vegetable oil and vinegar. Stir well and pour over the salad and mix thoroughly.

 

This salad tastes better if it sits for at least 30 minutes and even better overnight (it marinates better).

 

This "PINSPIRATION" comes from Food.com

 

ENJOY!

 

 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

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Cook's Note: I was in need of a recipe that I had on-hand ingredients for and I ran across this gem on Pinterest. Of course, I didn't have ALL of the ingredients that the original recipe called for, so of course, I changed it and made it my own. This recipe is DELICIOUS and I think we will be making it again VERY VERY SOON! 

What You Will Need: 

1 lb Ground Chicken Breast

1 tsp Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning

2 Cans of Cream of Chicken Soup (Suggest Making your OWN: RECIPE HERE)

1/2 Bottle Ranch Dressing

4-5 Slices of Cooked Bacon (I used Turkey Bacon)

1 Box of Elbow Macaroni (or pasta of your choice)

1 Cup Cheddar Cheese

1/2 Cup of Cracker Crumbs

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. 

Brown ground chicken breast in skillet, seasoning with Cavender's seasoning if you have (otherwise, use salt and pepper to taste). 

If you are making your own Cream of Chicken Soup, double that recipe (and I highly suggest that you make your own because of 2 reasons: 1) It tastes a million times better 2) the canned version is straight chemicals). 

Mix the Cream of Chicken Soup, Ranch Dressing, Bacon, Pasta, cooked Ground Chicken Breast and Cheese together and place into a large 9x13 casserole dish (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray). Top with cracker crumbs and bake for 30 minutes or until toasty brown on top. 

Enjoy!

This "Pinspiration" comes from: Plain Chicken

Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew

 

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Cook’s Note: It was a chilly fall day earlier this week and I got in the mood for soup. A friend of mine had posted a recipe link (credit below) to a stew recipe on a new blog that I discovered called “Add a Pinch” and there you have it… I read over her recipe and then decided to tweak the recipe it to make it my own, with the ingredients that I already had on hand.

My husband said this was so good that he didn’t even need to add salt or pepper and that is a good sign! LOL . I served it with corn bread muffins on the side. What a nice dinner for a cold day!

What You Will Need:

1 pound of ground chicken or turkey breast

½ medium onion, diced

1 large bag of frozen mixed vegetables

2 cans of diced tomatoes (I like the one that has Basil and Oregano added)

1 box of 32 oz. Chicken Broth (I suggest Low Sodium and Organic)

1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

2 tsp  Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Salt

1 Tbsp Ketchup

Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste

Directions:

Turn Slow Cooker on high and add Frozen Vegetable, Dice Tomatoes, Chicken Broth, seasonings and Ketchup and stir.

I know that ketchup seems like a weird ingredient, but it really does add such a nice taste!

 In a large skillet, cook ground turkey or chicken breast and onion until cooked through and browned. When done, add to slow cooker and stir well.

Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6  hours.                  

 ENJOY!!

 

This “Pinspiration” comes from: Add a Pinch       

French Onion Chicken Sandwich

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Cooks Note: I love this sandwich! I am a big onion lover, so I knew this one would be good, but I didn't expect it to be this good. I did change a couple things, I used regular hamburger buns, but I buttered them and toasted them in the same pan I cooked the onions in, also, I made a garlic aioli to give the sandwich a little moisture. For the aioli I just took regular Hellman's light mayo and I added a little basil and some garlic powder. You can make it as garlicky as you want! This is a definite favorite in my house. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 t granulated sugar
• 4 small boneless chicken breasts, either thin breasts or pounded thin
• 4 slices of Swiss cheese
• 4 hamburger buns
• baby spinach
• Salt and Pepper to taste for chicken breasts
• Mayo
• Garlic powder to taste
• Basil

Directions:

1. In large skillet, add oil over medium heat. Add onion slices and sugar, cooking for 25 min or until onions are caramelized, stirring frequently. This step can be done in advance and the onions reheated prior to serving. 
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Either grill or saute chicken breasts till browned on the outside and no longer pink in the middle. 
3. Place cheese slices over chicken 1 minute prior to removing from heat. 
4. Make aioli using as much mayo as needed and garlic and basil to taste
5. Butter and toast hamburger buns if desired for extra flavor
6. Assemble sandwiches using chicken, onions, aioli and spinach. Add other toppings as desired. 

This recipe comes from Foxes Love Lemons

Chicken Parmesan Bake

 

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Cook's Note: If you've ever wanted a YUMMY and EASY dinner that everyone will enjoy, look no further! I found this recipe on Pinterest (shocker) and I am so glad that I did. It took me about 10 minutes to throw together (that is, if you have pre-cooked chicken already!).

Try this recipe and add it to your monthly dinner rotation. You will be glad that you did!

 

What You Will Need:

3 or  4 medium sized fully-cooked chicken, shredded or cubed

1 jar (28 ounces) of marinara sauce (I used Prego)

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tsp Italian Seasoning

Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease an 8x8 size glass casserole dish with cooking spray.

Spread the chopped chicken in the bottom of the dish. Next, pour the marinara sauce over the chicken and stir well. Top this mixture with the shredded cheese until completely covered.  

In a side bowl – combine breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, salt/pepper (if desired) and olive oil.

Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture on top of the chicken mixture.  

Bake for about 30 minutes (until top is well browned).

Serve over whole wheat angel hair pasta or any pasta of your choice and a nice side salad!

 

This "Pinspiration" comes from ThrivingHomeBlog

ENJOY!

 

 

 

Crockpot Cranberry Chicken

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Cook's Note: I love EASY recipes that are tasty and healthy. This recipe certainly is the right combination of all those things! With only four ingredients, you really can't go wrong here. This was really delicious and I will make this again and again! Serve with a nice side salad and some bread for a really wonderful dinner. 

What You Will Need:

3-44 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, (frozen is OK)

1 can Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce {14 oz.}

1 pkg. Dry Onion Soup

8 oz. Kraft Catalina Dressing

Directions:

In your crockpot, spray the bottom with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken on high for 4 hours, if frozen cook 5-6 hours on high or until tender.

Once done, take the chicken out of the crock pot and drain the juices from the crockpot.

In a side bowl, mix together the Catalina dressing, cranberry sauce and dry onion soup.

Place the chicken back in the crock pot and pour the cranberry mixture over chicken, and cook on high for an additional 30 more minutes, then serve. 

This "Pinspiration" comes from Frugal Girls 

ENJOY! 

Baked Chicken with Basil and Tomatoes

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Cook's Note: My very sweet neighbor made this dish for me last year when I was going through a hard time and didn't feel like cooking. It was so delicious and I asked her for the recipe because we loved it so much! She directed me to a book called "Dinner: A Love Story" and I found that she had a blog too. What a delightful recipe this is and it really is made with love. This recipe takes a little effort, but trust me, its well worth it! I have modified the recipe slightly and encourage you to make this dish at home. Your family will feel like they are dining at a 4 star restaurant. 

What You Will Need:

5-6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 tsp Rosemary

1 tsp Oregano

3 Tbsp Light Ricotta Cheese

3 Tbsp Light Cream Cheese

Fresh Basil (2 springs or a handful) finely chopped

Fresh Cracked Pepper and Sea Salt to Taste

Directions:

In a large skillet sear 5-6  large boneless skinless chicken breasts over high heat in olive oil, about 2 minutes a side. Remove chicken from pan (no need to be cooked through, just ensure they are browned on each side) and place into a glass baking dish coated with olive oil.

Turn down stove heat down to medium and add onion and garlic (add more olive oil if you need to). After about 2 minutes, stir in diced tomatoes, rosemary and oregano and simmer on medium/low for  about 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in Ricotta Cheese and Cream Cheese and add in Basil.

Pour sauce mixture over the chicken (which is already in the glass baking dish).

 Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Serve family style, add sea salt and pepper to taste.

This "Pinspiration" comes from Dinner:A Love Story

ENJOY! 

Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Rice Casserole

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Cook's Note: Who doesn't love Cracker Barrel? Well, this is a classic dish that I thought we must certainly try and this is comfort food at its best. Simple ingredients here. I have modified my recipe, as I usually do, from the original, but I hope you will like our take! 

 BONUS: It's super simple to make and something that the entire family will enjoy! 

What You Will Need:

2 Cups cooked wild rice

1 diced onion

1/2 tsp garlic salt

Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to Taste

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Jar of Chicken Gravy

3-4 Chicken Breasts 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the rice according to package directions. Add diced onion and mix well, add garlic salt and salt and pepper to taste. 

In a glass baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, place your rice mixture in the bottom of the dish.

Next, put chicken on top of the rice, then spread the Cream of Chicken soup over chicken.

Pour gravy over top of the chicken and rice and cover dish with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 for 45-50  minutes.

This "Pinspiration" comes from Serendipity and Spice

ENJOY! 

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

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Cook's Note: I was craving Chicken Noodle soup because we were all feeling a bit under the weather and this sure hit the spot! It was rather simple to make and lasted for days! Even my toddler liked it - so you know its a good recipe! 

If you have more than your fair share left over, you can freeze this soup too in Mason jars and pull it out to thaw and eat next time you want Chicken Noodle Soup! 

What You Will Need:

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

4-5  large carrots, peeled and sliced or chopped

2 celery sticks, finely chopped (optional)

2-3 chicken breasts (frozen is OK)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)

1 Tbsp Cavendar’s Greek Seasoning

6 -8  cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

2 cups wide egg noodles (do not use entire bag)

parsley for garnish

Directions: 

Add chicken to the bottom of the slow cooker and next add chopped onion, carrots, celery, olive oil, chicken broth (I say 6-8 cups depending on how much broth you prefer), salt, pepper, water, bay leave and Cavendar’s to your slow cooker. Simmer on low for 6-7 hours or 4-5 hours on high.

Remove the chicken from the crock pot and place on cutting board to shred with two forks. Add chicken back to crockpot and add egg noodles. Cook for another 1 hour on high or until noodles are cooked.

Enjoy with some good ole' Saltine Crackers or a yummy grilled cheese sandwich!!

This "Pinspiration" comes from: Jo Cooks

Crockpot White Chicken Chili

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Cook's Note: I love white chicken chili and I ran across this recipe one day when I was trying to decide what to make for dinner. It looked easy enough, so I tried it and I must say it was very EASY and very TASTY! I love all recipes from Six Sisters Stuff, so I knew this would be a success. I have modified the recipe slightly, but I hope you will try this recipe - it's great for a BUSY WEEKDAY.

What You Will Need: 

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen is OK)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 medium onion, chopped

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cloves minced garlic
2 cans of Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained

3 cups fat free organic chicken broth

1 tablespoon of Texas Pete (or about 8-10 dashes)

1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) low fat shredded cheese

Fat free or light sour cream dollop for garnish

Directions

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken (fresh or frozen) in crock pot and add salt and pepper to each breast, to test.  Next add onion, garlic, oregano, cumin and Texas Pete on top of the chicken.

Next add white beans and pour the chicken broth over entire mixture. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or 4 to 5 hours on high.

Before serving, remove chicken and shred. Add chicken back into soup and mix well. Sprinkle with cheese and garnish with sour cream if desired.

Serve with a side of CORN BREAD for a scrumptious meal! 

This "Pinspiration" comes from Six Sisters Stuff

Enjoy!

Delicata Squash and parmesan Chicken Bake

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Cook's Note: I frequent a local farm stand in our area during the summer time and I ran upon this DELICATA squash that I was not familiar with at all. 

The person there told me it was a fall squash and delicious and tasted like a butternut squash or acorn squash, so I thought I'd give it a try. GOODNESS ME! It is even better than butternut squash - it will knock your socks off! This recipe is devine and you just HAVE to give it a try! 

What You Will Need: 

2 Delicata Squash (washed, seeded and chopped)

3-4 Chicken Breasts, chopped

Package of Cherry Tomatoes - chopped

2 cloves of garlic - chopped

3 Tbps of Olive Oil

1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste

Directions: 

Once you've chopped your delicata squash, tomatoes and chicken, place in a large freezer bag and add olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and cheese. Shake the bag well to coat and mix. Pour contents of bag into an oven safe dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with a little more of the Parmesan cheese, just to give it a coating and bake at 400 degrees for 60 minutes. 

Here is the Delicata Squah, chopped - doesn't it look amazing!?

ENJOY!

A special thank you to Moonfire Orchard for the delicious squash and tomatoes! 

Gooseberry Patch Chicken Tetrazini

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Cook's Note: I made this on Christmas Eve for our family dinner (I know I am posting it really really late huh?). I had never made this recipe before and took a chance on it. I got this recipe from the Gooseberry Patch Merry Christmas cookbook (page 137). Let me tell you, if you aren't familiar with Gooseberry Patch... then get with it PEOPLE! Their recipes are pretty much a NO FAIL and can always be trusted. This recipe was really phenomenal and I have made it 2 times this year already. My family truly loved it, even the kids. 

It's fairly easy to make and the taste combination is out of this world. This is by no means a light recipe, but a great recipe nonetheless. I didn't change anything here and give full credit to Gooseberry Patch. I am adding this to my dinner rotation and recipe box to make again and again. I hope you will enjoy!  

What You Will Need: 

2 cans of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup

1.5 cups of Milk

2 Chicken bouillon cubes

12 oz package of wide Egg Noodles, cooked according to pkg directions.

1 small onion, chopped or diced

3 cups Chicken Breast (2-3 breasts), cooked and diced

1.5 cups of Sourdough Croutons, cut into squares/cubes

3 Tbsp Butter (melted)

3 cups Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

Directions: 

First and foremost: Cook your chicken. Typically, for recipes that call for already cooked chicken, I will take the chicken breasts and boil them for 25 minutes, then drain, rinse, cool and dice the chicken and set aside. 

Next, cook the noodles according to package directions. Once drained, set aside. 

Peel and dice onion, set aside. 

For the Sourdough Croutons you can either buy those already made in the store bakery, or make it yourself! If you want to make it yourself its very easy (see my recipe below!) If using store bought croutons, toss croutons with melted butter (as indicated in the above ingredients) in a small bowl and set aside.(If you follow my below homemade crouton recipe, then you won't need more butter!)

In a small saucepan - mix soup, milk and bouillon cubes and cook over medium heat until warmed. 

In a large bowl, combine noodles, onion, chicken and soup mixture and stir until well combined. Place mixture is a greased 13'x9' glass baking dish. 

Sprinkle shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese over the noodles and top with croutons.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.  Serves 6-8.

Homemade Sourdough Croutons

1 loaf of Sourdough Bread from your local grocer's bakery

3 tbsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

2-3 Tbsp butter (melted) 

Directions: Dice the bread up into squares, toss with Italian seasoning, cheese and butter. 

This "Pinspiration" comes from Gooseberry Patch - Merry Christmas Cookbook

Swiss Chicken

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Cooks Note: I have no idea where this recipe came from. My Mom has been making it for as long as I can remember. It is quite possibly the easiest recipe you will ever make, and one of the tastiest. I mean, it is, make it for company good, no joke. Give it a try and Enjoy!


Ingredients:

4 Defrosted Chicken breasts
Non-stick cooking spray
2 Cans (14.5 oz) Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 cup of milk
4 Slices Swiss Cheese
1 Box StoveTop stuffing (I like the chicken or turkey flavor, but any flavor would work)
3 T butter, melted


Directions:

Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non stick spray 
Place 4 chicken breasts side by side in baking dish
Mix 2 cans of soup with milk until blended
Sprinkle each chicken breast with garlic powder 
Place one slice of Swiss on each chicken breast
Pour soup mixture over chicken to cover
Sprinkle the whole box of StoveTop over soup
Drizzle melted butter on StoveTop
Place in a 375 degree oven 30-45 min or until bubbly and chicken cooked through

This Pinspiration comes from My Mom