Nancy's Chicken Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is delicious and has a yummy, subtle Asian flavor. I got the recipe from Rob's cousin, Nancy. It is perfect for summertime!

• 12 oz rotini pasta, cooked al dente and cooled
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 3 TBSP sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 cups cold, cooked, shredded chicken
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 cups torn spinach leaves

In a small frying pan, toast the sunflower seeds in oil over medium low heat. Stir together oil, seeds, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper. Pour over pasta and chicken. Add spinach and onion an hour before serving. Serve cold.

Chicken Enchiladas

I have been looking for a good recipe for chicken enchiladas and I got one by combining two different recipes. With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, this is a perfect Mexican meal at home.

• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 2-3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 1-1/2 cup sour cream, divided
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken broth/stock

In a large bowl, stir together chicken, 1 cup cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, and green chiles. Spoon chicken mixture into tortillas, sprinkle with shredded cheese, roll up, and place seam-side down in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.

In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium-low heat, stir in flour to make a roux; stir and cook until bubbly; gradually whisk in chicken broth then bring to boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in 1-cup sour cream. Pour sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.

I served these with cilantro lime rice.

Crockpot Chicken Soft Tacos

This is so simple! We use it as a filling for soft tacos with a little cheese sprinkled on top. You could also use it for enchiladas.

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup medium or hot salsa
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream

Spray your Crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Add in chicken. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Add sour cream during the last 30 minutes and stir. Shred chicken, serve as you please and ENJOY!

Apricot Curry Chicken

This is simmering away in the crockpot right now. :o)

- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

- 1/2 medium onion, chopped

- 1 (12 oz) jar apricot jam

- 1/4 cup chicken stock

- 1 1/2 tsp curry powder

- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1/4 tsp ground ginger

- 1/4 tsp salt

Place chicken breasts in crockpot. Mix together onion, jam, stock, curry powder, cayenne pepper, ground ginger & salt until well blended and pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

A trick if your sauce is too thin - after chicken is done cooking, remove chicken from crockpot. Turn heat to high. Mix 1 tbsp (or more, depending on how much you want to thicken it up) of cornstarch with 1 tbsp of water together until smooth and add to the sauce. Leave the top off for a few minutes until it's thickened. A bit quicker, but messier - remove cooked chicken and pour sauce into a saucepan. Add cornstarch/water mixture and heat on high (uncovered) until thickened. Add chicken back in and serve.

You could also add chopped, dried apricots to this dish for a little texture. I couldn't find any that are peanut-free, so skipped it.

Serve chicken over rice. Yummy with stir-fried veggies on the side!

Shredded Buffalo Chicken

Football season is upon us. And I have a new crowd-pleasing crockpot favorite. I love the taste of buffalo chicken, but those of you who know me know I can't eat meat off the bone. (Yuck.) This chicken is great on wrap or sandwiches with a little shredded cheddar, but would also be great on a buffalo chicken pizza, even nachos. And no deep-fat frying!

-4 boneless, skinless, uncooked chicken breasts
-1 bottle wing sauce
-1 packet ranch dressing mix
-2 tbsp butter

Place chicken in crockpot. Whisk together wing sauce and ranch dressing mix; pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Add butter to the sauce, and use two forks to shred the chicken. Don't be tempted to skip the butter, as I was. It gives the sauce a really nice texture. So good!!

Lemon Cream Chicken Pasta

Rob told me this tastes like something he'd order at Macaroni Grill. This might be the highest compliment he's ever paid my cooking. (Yes, around here Macaroni Grill is haute cuisine. :o) Don't judge, we don't get out much.)

I made this dinner for my mother-in-law for her birthday. It's easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but tastes like a "special occasion" meal.

-1 (8 oz) box penne pasta
-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (see below for how I prepare mine.)
-2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
-1 cup heavy cream
-zest of one large lemon (zest before you juice it)
-juice of one large lemon, about 1/4 cup
-1 tsp garlic powder
-fresh cracked pepper to taste
-grated Parmesan cheese
-fresh chopped parsley

Bring chicken broth, garlic powder and pepper to a boil. Add lemon juice and pasta. Cover and simmer until all the liquid is gone, about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally*. Remove from heat, add chicken and stir in cream and lemon zest. Heat through, about 5 minutes. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

*You may fear soggy pasta boiling it this long. I certainly feared it. But, the pasta just tasted really darn good and was the perfect texture. I used Barilla Plus; our fav.

I think this would also be great with roasted grape tomatoes or roasted asparagus stirred right into the pasta. Will try that next time.

Chicken, Broccoli & Cheese Bake

Easy, healthy and yummy. This casserole makes the perfect weeknight meal because it is so quick to put together. Our beloved Jen made this one night and I've been hooked ever since. Ellie loves this meal, too, especially since it has "trees" in it. (Trees are codeword for broccoli around here.) Enjoy!

-1 box Stovetop cornbread stuffing
-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & cubed (I sprinkle mine with garlic salt, pepper and a little olive oil, cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.)
-2 cups fresh broccoli florets
-1 can cream of chicken soup
-1/3 cup sour cream
-2 cups cheddar cheese
-fresh cracked pepper

Prepare stuffing according to package directions. In a large bowl, mix together soup, sour cream and pepper. Stir in broccoli and chicken. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish and top with stuffing. Baked, covered, at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove cover, top with cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Yum, yum!

Chicken Soft Tacos

Shocking, I know. A Mexican-inspired dish... from me! Seriously, what is my problem? I can't get enough. Anyway... my boss gave me a bunch of fresh jalapenos from her garden. I picked a bunch of fresh cilantro from mine. What to do, what to do...? I took a look in my cabinet and threw this together tonight. It was pretty good!

2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles

2 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno, diced (I left half the seeds in for some heat)

juice of 1/2 a lime

flour tortillas

olive oil

salt & pepper

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt & pepper and sear on both sides. Lower heat, add tomatoes, garlic and jalapeno. Cover. Simmer for about 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken; shred and chop. Add back to the tomatoes, squeeze lime over. Serve in warm tortillas. Top with lettuce, cheese, cilantro, black beans, sour cream and whatever else you like!

Buffalo Chicken Rolls

Since we all seem to love the taste of buffalo chicken, here's another take on some spicy goodness. Enjoy!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded flat
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup hot sauce
1/2 cup sharp cheddar or provolone cheese (or whatever cheese you like)

Place chicken breasts in a plastic bag. Mix together the hot sauce and melted butter and add to the chicken, tossing to coat. Refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove chicken breasts from the hot sauce, and place 1 tablespoon of cheese in the center of each one. Roll up, and secure with a toothpick. Place seam side down in a glass baking dish. Pour hot sauce marinade over the chicken. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, or until chicken is fork tender. Increase the temperature of the oven to 450 degrees, and place the chicken 8 inches from the heat. Garnish with remaining cheese and bake for another 5 minutes, uncovered, until browned.

Remove toothpicks, and serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.

Chicken Bacon Wraps

I can't remember where I got this little recipe, but these sure are good! I've made them for a few get-togethers over the years and they always get rave reviews. And you can't get any simpler on the ingredients.

4-5 chicken breasts
1 pound sliced bacon
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray.

Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds (I just do the whole package at once). Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden toothpick.

Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture - covering more of the chicken than the bacon. Place on cookie sheet and bake 30-35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This recipe comes from Gomez's sister Natalie. The first time I had it, I fell in love! But be warned .. it's HOT!

2 big cans of Chunk White Chicken

(or about 4 diced chicken breasts)
1 cup ranch dressing
1 cup Frank’s Red Hot Wing Sauce
2 8oz. pkgs. softened cream cheese
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
(I used sharp cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread softened cream cheese on bottom of baking dish.

Mix the drained chicken, buffalo sauce and ranch all together. Pour mixture over cream cheese and bake for approx 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir cream cheese and chicken mixture all together.

Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve with tortilla chips. (I love those Scoops)

I've found that this tastes better the longer it sits. Eating it right out of the oven wasn't as good as an hour or two later. But either way - damn delicious!

Chicken Lasagna Florentine

This is one of my favorite low calorie, Crock pot recipes.

2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (reduced fat)
1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
1/2 pound cooked chicken (I used shredded rotisserie chicken breasts)
8 oz. reduced fat sour cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
9 uncooked lasagna noodles (don't use the oven-ready noodles)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Combine the soup, spinach, chicken, sour cream, milk, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a large bowl.

Grease Crock pot with cooking spray and place 3 lasagna noodles in the bottom of the Crock pot. Break noodles as needed to fit. Spread 1/3 of the mixture over the noodles; sprinkle with 1/3 cup of mozzarella cheese. Layer three more noodles, half of remaining mixture and 1/3 cup of mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining noodles, mixture and mozzarella cheese.

Cook on HIGH for 1 hour and then reduce heat to LOW and cook for about 3-4 hours or until done.

Dannie's Honey Glazed Chicken

This recipe comes all the way from my brother's kitchen in Reston, Virginia. Of course, Robby wasn't the one doing the cooking. His girlfriend, Dannie, whipped this up and was kind enough to share the recipe. My brother raved about it. I will be making it this weekend.

1-2 pounds chicken pieces (Dannie uses boneless breasts and thighs, but says the recipe works with bone in pieces and even wings)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 cup honey
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix together the oil, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken. Bake in preheated oven for one hour, or until sauce is caramelized. Flip the chicken halfway through when using boneless.

Serve over rice and spoon some of the leftover sauce over the chicken and rice.

Tortilla Soup

I made this soup for the first time tonight, but it won't be the last. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law came over for dinner, and we practically finished the pot between the four of us. It was really filling and very yummy. There are a lot of ingredients but it's all in one pot, so it's super easy. I found this recipe while browsing recipe blogs similar to ours. I did modify it somewhat to our tastes. YUM!

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1 cup coarsely crushed lime flavor tortilla chips

3 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth

1 can diced tomatos with jalapenos

2 cups cooked chicken breast, cut into chunks (I used rotisserie)

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup shredded colby jack cheese

1/3 cup half and half

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp dried oregano

zest of one lime

juice of one lime

fresh cracked pepper to taste

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add onions, garlic and jalapeno and saute until soft. Add crushed tortilla chips and cook until the edges start to brown.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, spices and hot sauce and bring to a soft boil. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to your liking. (I left a lot of chunks and am glad I did - just a tip.)

Add chicken and corn bring back to a rolling simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn down the heat and add half & half. Then slowly stir in cheese until it melts. Add lime zest and juice, and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

I served this with a choice of toppings: chopped tomatoes, sour cream, more shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, and additional crushed lime tortilla chips. My sister-in-law made an amazing salad which I will get the recipe for and post. Only an icy margarita would have made the meal better. :o)

White Chicken Chili

My friend, Beth, shared this recipe with me. This would be perfect on a cold, snowy night. Enjoy!

2-3 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried oregano
½ TBSP jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 cans northern beans
1 lb cooked chicken, diced
3-4 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups white cheese, shredded
½ cup salsa

Saute first seven ingredients in olive oil for five minutes. Add beans and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add diced chicken, salsa and half of the cheese. Simmer until heated through.

When serving, sprinkle with remaining cheese and sour cream. Great with tortilla chips!

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Sometimes you just need good-for-the-soul chicken soup. I am not a huge fan of traditional chicken noodle soup, so this is my take on a classic. Perfect on a chilly evening... I just made a big pot tonight.

32 oz container chicken broth

4 cups water

1/2 cup very dry white wine (you can skip this and just add extra broth or water)

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (I use 98% reduced fat)

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I use rotisserie chicken breast)

1 (7oz) pkg frozen cheese tortellini

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup carrots

1 cup celery

2 tsp chicken boullion granules

2 garlic cloves, minced fine

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

fresh cracked pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, combine all ingredients except tortellini. Bring to a boil; add tortellini. Simmer 30 minutes.

Mom's Lemon Chicken

So my mom has one of the simplest and tastiest recipes for lemon chicken.

Pair it with some rice (I use lipton's chicken rice) and broccoli, and it's a complete meal.

So here goes!

4 Chicken Breasts

2 Cups Water

2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes

Flour (For Coating Chicken)

2 TBSP Butter

1/4 Cup Lemon Juice (I use a full cup - but I love LEMON!!)

Garlic Powder

-Boil water then add bouillon cubes

-Coat chicken breasts in flour

-Brown chicken in butter

-Add lemon juice & chicken broth

-Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder

-Simmer 1 hour with lid on

That's it!

The juice and broth make a great sauce to spoon over your chicken and rice.

Parmesan/Romano Crusted Chicken

I thought you might like this given our shared love for Cap City's version. I'm actually making it tonight and it's a big hit with Chris and the kids. Very easy, very flavorful and, for once, the chicken stays moist!

- 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup parmesan or romano cheese

(I prefer romano)
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

- 5 tsp. dry bread crumbs

(I use plain, recipe calls for Italian seasoned)

Preheat oven to 425°.

In a medium bowl, combine mayo and cheese. Arrange chicken in glass baking dish. Evenly top with mayo mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs. Flip over and do the other side.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. I always cover mine with foil to lock in the moisture. Super simple and delish.

Chicken with Apples and Cider

My friend, Liz, swears by this recipe. It's her favorite and she raves about it. It sounds so yummy for fall! It's on deck tomorrow at our house. As is, it's 8 points a serving. I think I'll use brown rice or couscous instead of noodles.

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
1 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
4 (4 oz) skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 medium onion, thinly sliced and seperated into rings
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 cups hot cooked wide noodles

1. Saute the apple in 1 tbsp of oil until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. On a sheet of wax paper, sprinkle chicken with cinnamon, salt and pepper. Saute in the remaining tbsp of oil until browned, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Transfer to another plate.

3. In the same skillet, cook the onion, covered, until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the cider and vinegar. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet; simmer, spooning sauce over chicken until chicken is cooked through and liquid is reduced by half, about 4-5 minutes.

4. Return apples to the skillet; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve over noodles.

Shredded BBQ Chicken

I found this recipe in my go to cookbook - Easy Weeknight Favorites. I've made this a number of times. It's a great crock pot recipe that freezes well.

1/2 lemon, sliced and seeded
6 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup cola
18 0z. bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water

Place lemon slices in the bottom of a crock pot. Add chicken. Combine cola and barbecue sauce; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-1/2 to 4 hours or on LOW for 7 hours. Remove chicken to a platter and shred; reserving sauce in crock pot (discard lemon).

Combine the flour and water, stirring well with a whisk; stir into sauce in crock pot. Cook sauce, uncovered, on HIGH for 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Return shredded chicken to crock pot and serve.