birthday dessert ideas: chicken

Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts

Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts

****Chicken Fiesta Salad

This was probably one of my most favorite salads. It's not just any ordinary salad. It's like a flavor explosion in one salad bowl. Trust me on this one, it's amazing!

It even makes an awesome snack just as a dip with chips! Seriously tasty eats!

Chicken Fiesta Salad Recipe

1 cup Chicken Fiesta Recipe
Organic romaine lettuce or any greens
2 tbsp. Guacamole
2 tbsp. sour cream
2 tbsp. Garlic Aioli
2 tbsp. Taco Sauce

Fill bowl up with tasty greens. Top with remaining ingredients.

Jerk Chicken

You like things spicy? This Jerk Chicken will get you sweating! It had a wonderful flavor though and everyone loved it.

The leftovers were perfect on a salad the next day too.

We ate this with watermelon. That helped to cool things off a bit. :-)

Jerk Chicken Recipe

2 lbs. chicken breasts
Jerk Marinade

Mix marinade and marinate chicken. I marinated them for about 6 hours. Cook in a pan until done or else grill the chicken. Put some of the marinade in the pan with the chicken so it can cook with the chicken. Spicy but super delicious!

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I remember grilled cheese night as a kid. It was just me, my dad and my brothers. My dad would cut the crust off of two sides of the bread. He'd stagger the pieces of bread so we wouldn't have as much crust on the sandwich. So nice, right?

One of my brothers would butter the bread, the other would open up cheese slices. Yup, we used the cheese in the little plastic packages. I was the oldest so I'd be the one actually making the grilled cheese. Our little assembly line was fun and resulted in one of my favorite dinners.

Well, my tastes have changed a bit over the years. We no longer use the processed american cheese and I like to keep all the crust on the bread. I also enjoy a little kick with my sandwiches, know what I mean?

This has a lot more than just cheese on these sandwiches but it's still a grilled cheese to me. This is ooey gooey cheesy but with a buffalo kick with the chicken. The veggies give it that bit of freshness and bite. So, so good. Looks like we might have to start a new grilled cheese tradition around here.

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Adapted from Closet Cooking

2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/2 cup Franks buffalo sauce
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 cup carrot, grated
1/2 cup celery, sliced
4 cups cheddar cheese
butter for the bread

Mix the chicken, hot sauce, ranch, carrot, celery and onion in a bowl.

Butter the outside of each slice of bread. Throw bread on a hot pan, butter side down. Top with a pile of shredded cheese, then a scoop of the buffalo chicken salad and then more cheese. Top with the other piece of bread, butter size up. Carefully flip sandwich until golden brown on both sides an ooey gooey all over.

Fiesta Chicken Quesadillas

This is such an easy and versatile meal, I just couldn't wait to share it.

Throw most of the ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning and let it simmer and cook all day. Come home, throw in the cream cheese and you're all set.

There's nothing like an ooey gooey quesadilla for dinner!

Don't forget to smear it with this amazing Avocado Garlic Aioli. This stuff rocks, I could eat it with a spoon. Make a big batch, keep it in the refrigerator and put it on just about anything. Except for ice cream.

Then of course, if you're like me, you'll drizzle more of this awesome sauce on top.

Corn tortillas for me, whole wheat tortillas for the rest of the family. Perfect.

Fiesta Chicken Quesadillas

2 - 2 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
1 small can of tomato paste
1 jar green salsa, I think mine was about 15 oz.
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. Taco Seasoning (or just more chili powder)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz. cream cheese
Corn or flour tortillas or tortilla chips
Avocado Garlic Aioli

Put chicken in crock pot. Combine tomato paste, green salsa, corn, black beans and seasonings in a bowl and then add it to the slow cooker. Cook for 5 - 7 hours on low. Cut the cream cheese in chunks and add them to the slow cooker. Let melt for about 20 minutes or so, stir and enjoy.

This is great on nachos too!

More food on a tortilla!
Pineapple Black Bean Enchiladas
Southwestern Chicken Wraps
Cheesy Chimichangas
Cuban Quesadilla

Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwich

More avocado you say? Heck yea! I haven't met a chicken salad that I haven't liked. This one totally lived up to expectation!

I gave my husband one of these sandwiches for lunch. He came home and said he was a bit scared of the green sandwich at first but loved it and asked for more.

I couldn't help but eat this with my delicious Garlic Aioli. That and some organic romaine lettuce and it was perfect.

I don't eat too many sandwiches as I haven't found a gluten free bread that I love. This loaf was from a box, I don't remember what brand. I do know that I added some garlic powder and Italian seasoning to the bread and it turned out delicious!

Avocado Chicken Salad Recipe

Adapted from Family Fresh Meals

2 cups shredded chicken

1 avocado, chopped in chunks

1 tbsp. onion, minced

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. lime juice

2 tsp. cilantro

1/4 cup mayo, light

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate. Serve with lettuce and Garlic Aioli if desired. It's awesome, you totally should!

Quinoa Coated Baked Chicken Parmesan

I love quinoa but don't make it often enough. I've been looking for different ways to use it. I thought it was a great breading for this chicken. I was impressed how crispy it became in the oven.

Not everyone here are so gung ho on quinoa though. They'll eat it but they are still trying to get used to it. My husband came home from work, looked at the chicken and asked what was on it. I told him to, "Shut up, and just eat it!" He did and he loved it.

I already have ideas for how to make different versions of this breading. Can't wait to try them out!

What do you like to use quinoa for?

Quinoa Coated Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour (I used gluten free)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (1/2 cup dry cooked with 1 cup liquid)
2 teaspoon italian seasoning blend
1 cup mozzarella, sliced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Marinara sauce
Mix cooked quinoa and italian seasoning in a small bowl. Put flour in a small bowl and eggs in a small bowl. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. dip in flour, dip in egg and coat in the quinoa mixture. Place the chicken on a pan coated with foil and bake at 400 degrees until cooked and lightly golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish, top with the cheese and a bit of sauce and broil until it has melted, about 2-4 minutes. Add more sauce while eating if desired.

Santa Fe Chicken

I love chips and salsa. Love, love, love. The kids thought I was crazy when I handed them the rest of the bag of tortilla chips and told them to crush them. The look of disbelief quickly transformed to elation and they happily smashed away. Only once they were crushed did they ask what they were going to be used for.

"Chicken of course!"

They didn't mind that I was going to coat the chicken with the tortilla chips but I did leave out the fact that I would be putting mayonnaise on it first. Even thought I knew it would be delicious and no one would know, I didn't feel the need to share. I just know I would have been greeted with cries of, "EEEWWW! Mayonnaise on chicken!" I didn't want to go there.

The chicken was delicious and no one seemed to care how it was breaded. I left the salsa off for the ~~weenies~~ kids who don't eat salsa. I was hoping for leftovers to put on a chicken salad the next day but none were left. Successful dinner, I'd say.

Santa Fe Chicken
Adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

2 - 3 lbs. boneless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 - 3 cups tortilla crumbs*

1 - 1 1/2 cups salsa

1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, I used sharp cheddar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large pan or baking sheet with parchment or grease well. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Set up a dredging station with the mayonnaise in a shallow bowl and the tortilla crumbs in another.
Working one at a time coat each chicken breast lightly with mayonnaise, then tortilla crumbs, patting them on with your hands if needed.
Bake about 20 - 25 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Remove the pan from oven and top each piece of chicken with salsa and cheese. Put the pan back in the oven about 5 minutes until cheese is melted, alternately you can turn on the broiler and broil them about 1 minute until cheese is melted with some golden spots.

*For homemade tortilla crumbs, process 8 - 9 cups tortilla chips in a food processor or put them in a heavy duty plastic bag and pound them out. Let your kids do it, they'll love it.

Korean Spicy Marinated Chicken

I love easy meals. I love chucking chicken in a baggie in the morning with a marinade and then throwing it in a pan in the evening. Voila, dinner is practically done.

The fun part is finding new ways to flavor chicken. Sometimes I just use a bottled sauce but often I like to make my own. Today, I went spicy!

This had a great flavor. Nice heat but not so spicy that it knocks your socks off. I loved the way it caramelized on the chicken. The leftovers made a fantastic chicken salad the next day.

Korean Spicy Marinated Chicken Recipe
Adapted from Eat, Laugh, Love

1/4 C rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 C + 2 tbsp. Sriracha sauce or hot sauce

2 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. minced ginger

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp. sugar

3 green onions, chopped

3 lbs. chicken or pork, I used big tenders

Canola oil as needed

Stir together the vinegar, soy sauce, Sriracha sauce, garlic, ginger, freshly ground black pepper, sugar, and green onions in a large bowl. Mix in the chicken slices, mixing well until completely coated. Place into a ziplock plastic bag, squeeze out any excess air, seal, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 3 hours, and longer is preferable.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken pieces along with the juices to a large skillet. Cook until chicken is done, turning to coat in the juices. By the time the chicken is done, the sauce should be evaporated and glaze coated all over the chicken.

Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder

I love a good thick soup. When I eat a thinner soup, I tend to make something to go along with it for dinner. This is an awesome thick, hearty soup packed with healthy veggies. There was no need to make anything else for dinner. This was super filling. I found myself eating way too much of this soup. It's super healthy so I really didn't feel guilty at all.

Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder

2 strips of bacon
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup red pepper, chopped
2 medium potatoes, chopped
2 cans corn, drained
1 bay leaf
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. thyme
10 oz. chicken, cooked and shredded

In a large pan, cook bacon until crispy, saving fat in pan. Remove bacon from pan, dice finely and set aside. Add onion, carrot, and celery to bacon fat and cook for about 6 - 7 minutes. Add the milk, chicken broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cover pot and cook for about 30 minutes. Make sure the heat is super low as not to scald the milk.

Discard the bay leaf, raise the heat and add the potatoes and red peppers. a teaspoon of salt and some pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes until potatoes are almost fork tender. Raise the heat, add the corn, chicken, finely diced bacon and thyme. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Cool slightly and enjoy.

Mu Shu Chicken

We eat a lot of tortillas around here. I don't believe that it needs to be a mexican or southwestern meal in order to go on a tortilla. Pretty much everything around here goes on a tortilla.

This meal is no exception. I made rice to put it over but after eating a bit of it, I just decided that it needed to go on a tortilla. With the rice.

This was a delicious meal and quite easy to make.

Mu Shu Chicken

1 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. hoisin
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. minced ginger
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 - 14 oz. bag coleslaw
3/4 cup scallions, chopped
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
Tortillas or rice

Combine soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and hoisin in a small bowl. Whisk in cornstarch. Set aside. In a large frying pan, stir fry the ginger and garlic in the sesame oil for about a minute. Add coleslaw and scallions and stir fry until wilted. Add chicken and soy sauce mixture. Cook until heated through. Serve on tortillas or rice. I ate these on corn tortillas.

Mexican Rice Skillet

I love meals that come together quickly. I like to make extra rice so there is often rice in the refrigerator ready to use. Ordinary ingredients come together to make a fantastic tasting dish. Everyone loved it.

Mexican Skillet Rice

1 egg, beaten
1 lb. chicken, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minces
2 cups rice, cooked (I used brown)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained (or a couple cups of frozen corn)
1 jar (7 oz.) roasted sweet red peppers, drained and chopped
1 jar of taco sauce (8 oz)
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

In a large skillet, coated with cooking spray, cook and stir egg over medium heat until set. Remove and set aside.

In the same skillet, stir fry chicken and onion in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the cooked rice, beans, corn, peppers, taco sauce and green onions, heat through. Stir in the reserved egg, sprinkle with cilantro.

Cheesy Parmesan Penne with Bacon

My children love mac and cheese. For the longest time, pasta was just about the pasta and the cheese. Nothing else in there. It's only been fairly recently that they will accept foreign material in their pasta with cheese. And by foreign material I mean chicken, bacon and red peppers.

This also has what I call grown up cheese. Lots of freshly grated parmesan topped with melty provolone cheese. You could use Jack cheese but I just think that provolone has so much more flavor.

This makes a lot of food. Two whole 9 x 13 pans. When I cook, I like to cook a lot. Feel free to halve the recipe but otherwise you can pop the second pan into the freezer for another night. The leftovers from the refrigerator are awesome as well. So go ahead, make both pans.

Parmesan Cheese Penne with Bacon

1 1/2 lb. cooked shredded chicken
1 lb. bacon, crumbled
2 boxes (32 oz) penne pasta, cooked al dente
1 1/2 red bell peppers, diced
1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 1/2 tsp. paprika

12 slices of provolone cheese, for the top

Sauce:
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. garlic
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine or marsala wine
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
5 cups heavy cream

Cook chicken. I cooked mine in the microwave in a covered dish for about 10 minutes until done, sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper. Then I used the broth from the chicken in the pasta dish.

Chop and Shred:
Chop red peppers.
Grate parmesan cheese.
Cook bacon. I cut the bacon into chunks first and then cooked the bacon.
Cook the pasta and drain.

Sauce:
Saute garlic in butter. Add chicken broth and wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream. Cook to a soft boil but stir constantly and don't over boil. It will thicken slightly but not completely. This is okay because a lot of it will soak in to your al dente noodles.

Combine everything with the paprika together. You'll need a pretty large bowl for this. Pour into 2 - 9 x 13 in pans that are sprayed with cooking spray.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Remove foil, top with slices of parmesan cheese. Continue baking for another 15 - 20 minutes.

If you're only cooking one pan, cover the other pan tightly with foil and freeze. Thaw before baking.

Cajun Chicken Wraps

This recipe combines two of my favorite foods. Chicken salad and egg salad. Seriously this is good stuff here. The first night I ate it on corn tortillas. The next day for lunch, it was awesome in a bowl with lettuce as a salad. The seasoning was awesome but I spiced it up a bit more with a drizzle of buffalo sauce.

Cajun Chicken Salad

12 oz. cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup mayonnaise, light
2 tbsp. mustard
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
Hot sauce, to taste

Combine mayo, mustard, vinegar and spices in a large bowl. Mix in the chicken, eggs, celery, green pepper and onion.

Serve over a bed of lettuce and drizzle with hot sauce as desired.

Total calories = 1100
4 servings = 275 calories per serving

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Here is a soup that I can't believe I don't make more often. It really is one of my favorites. The flavors are perfect and I like to make it really thick.

This is a very healthy, gluten free soup. It is super filling too. One bowl fills you right up.

We all love it. The only debate at my house is how spicy it should be. I like it pretty mild, I like a little zing in my mouth but I like to taste it too. So not too much spice. My husband and brother like it to be spicier. They'll add some more taco seasoning or some hot sauce to it. Not me, I think it's perfect just the way it is.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

1 1/4 lbs. boneless chicken breasts

2 tbsp. taco seasoning (my recipe below)

1 cup onion, diced

¼ cups green bell pepper, diced

¼ cups red bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (10 oz.) rotel tomatoes and green chilies

32 ounces, chicken stock

3 tbsp. tomato paste

2 cups water

2 cans (15 oz.) black beans, drained

3 Tablespoons cornmeal

5 whole corn tortillas, cut into strips around 2 To 3 inches

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1/4 cup chili powder
2 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. smoked paprika (just use regular if you don't have smoked)
3 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. onion powder
2 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix spices all together. Put in a sealed container and keep until needed. I use this for taco meat and chili.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix taco seasoning together. Sprinkle about 2 tbsp. taco spice mix on both sides of the chicken and rub in with your fingers. Save the rest of the seasoning mix.
Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Or put in a casserole dish with a cover and microwave until done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Keep the juices and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Add shredded chicken with juices and stir.
Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.
Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more taco seasoning and salt if it needs more spice. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.
Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it!

Smokey Balsamic Chicken - 17 Day Diet - Day 16

I love BBQ sauce. What I don't like is all the sugar that comes in BBQ sauce. I know, I could make my own which is much better but I don't always have the time for that. This is kinda a cheating way to get the BBQ flavor, without actually having the sugary sauce.

Liquid smoke.

I always underestimate this stuff. I've used it several times and always forget how awesome it flavors foods. This chicken is very simple and doesn't use many ingredients. It is healthy and full of flavor! This is seriously one of my favorite ways to eat chicken!

Day 16 - 17 Day Diet Menu Plan

Green Chile Eggs

Apple

Yogurt

Turkey (4 oz)

Peanut butter (2 tbsp)

Yogurt

Balsamic chicken

Green beans

2 bites of baked beans

I kinda snacked today. Peanut butter has been my downfall lately. It's like it is my dessert or something. I'm finding myself dipping in there just to get a tiny bit. Today I was hungry so I ate a bit more than just a small fingerful. It still all worked out well.

Smokey Balsamic Chicken

2 tbsp. butter

2 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup water

2 - 3 cloves garlic

2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, I used tenders

3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp. brown sugar

salt and pepper

In a large pan, melt butter with 1 1/2 tsp. of the liquid smoke. Toss onions in and saute for a minutes or so. Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to pan and brown for about 10 minutes, turning once. Remove to a plate, add garlic and one cup water to the pan, boil for about 1 minute scraping up the browned bits. Return chicken to pan, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 - 30 minutes. Move chicken to one side of pan (or briefly remove), stir brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp. liquid smoke. Boil uncovered until slightly thickened. Move the chicken around in the delicious liquid to slightly caramelize on the chicken. Serve with flavored onions over the chicken.

Stir Fry w/ Sesame Sauce - 17 Day Diet - Day 15

So what do you do when you have a refrigerator full of vegetables and you're doing the 17 Day Diet? Make stir fry of course. I think I used every vegetable I had. I just kept chopping until the pan was full. I love how pretty and colorful it is! I totally need to make this more often.

Day 15 - 17 Day Diet Menu Plan

Green Chile Eggs
Banana
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Yogurt
Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wrap
Yogurt

I've been eating a lot of buffalo chicken. I like to cook a whole bunch of chicken in the crockpot and smother it with Franks buffalo sauce. Sometimes I'll throw a packet of ranch dressing in there. Then I shred it, or leave it whole and have buffalo chicken in my refrigerator to eat on salad or on a lettuce wrap.

Stir Fry with Sesame Sauce Recipe

1 1/2 lbs. chicken, cut into bite size chunks

1 1/2 lbs. broccoli
1 cup pea pods, ends trimmed

1 zucchini

1 yellow summer squash

2 carrots
2 celery stalks

1 red pepper

1 large onion
1 can water chestnuts

3 green onions

Sauce:

3/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp. garlic,minced

3 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar

1/4 cup splenda or other sweetener

1 tbsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. cornstarch

3/4 tsp. red pepper

Hot sauce, optional

Chop all the veggies into bite sized chunks. Brown the chicken in a pan with a bit of cooking spray. Add celery and carrots and cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Add onions and red pepper, cook for about 2 - 3 minutes. Add the rest of the veggies and the sauce and cook until veggies are done and sauce is thickened, about 6 - 8 minutes.