Chili chicken enchiladas

I love enchiladas. I also love how easy they are to make. They can get a little messy, but usually it's not too terrible. They're what I order every time I go to a Mexican restaurant. I will say that I haven't quite gotten to the point that mine are better than the restaurants, but these were pretty good!

To save time with dicing or shredding the chicken, I just put the chicken through my food processor. I have a brand new giant KitchenAid that I am obsessed with. I've learned that I can shred chicken as well as cheese very quickly. I will likely no longer buy shredded cheese!

I didn't realize until it was time to get everything together that I only had 6 tortillas instead of 8. I ended up saving the leftover chicken mixture, and will likely eat it like a chicken salad tomorrow. It was delicious! We had wheat tortillas on hand, but you could use flour or corn, depending on what you have available.

I will also say that these were HUGE enchiladas. I had one and was stuffed. The serving size is for two per person. Do that if you're very hungry.

Chili chicken enchiladas-adapted from Mexcian Fiesta by Ortega
Total time: 1 hour
Serves 4

• 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced
• 2-4 ounce cans diced green chiles
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1-10 ounce can enchilada sauce
• 8-8 inch soft wheat tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix chicken, sour cream, red peppers, chiles and 1 1/2 cups cheese in a bowl until blended.

Spoon 2 teaspoons enchilada sauce over a tortilla, top with 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture. Roll up the tortilla and arrange, seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top the tortillas with remaining enchilada sauce and 1 1/2 cups cheese.

Cover dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for 5 more minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.

Ethiopian chicken stew

I was a bit hesitant about this recipe, mostly because I know nothing about Ethiopian cuisine. There wasn't anything overly special about this recipe. It was actually a bit spicy for me. I don't know that I would make it again, but if you like flavor, give it a try. The chicken was extremely moist as well.

Ethiopian chicken stew-adapted from More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow by Stephanie O'dea
Total time: 6 hours
Serves 4

• 1-14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 large yellow onions, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground tumeric
• 2 cups water

Grease a 5-quart slow cooker. Pour in the can of tomatoes. Top with chicken, then the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours, or high 4-5 hours or until chicken juices run clear and onions are tender.

Greek-style chicken

We love Greek chicken pasta, this chicken wasn't any different!

Greek-style chicken-adapted from Slow Cooker Recipes by Crock-Pot
Total time: 5 hours
Serves 4

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Place chicken in a greased 5 quart slow cooker. Top with all other ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender.

Freezer meal: Garlic ranch chicken

Some very close friends of our welcomed a lovely baby girl into the world on Valentine's Day! I knew that I wanted to do something special for them, so I made a bunch of freezer meals. I'll share all the meals over the next few posts, but I haven't tried them, so you'll just get the before pictures!

Garlic ranch chicken-adapted from Fabulessly Frugal
Total time: Unknown :)
Serves 4

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 package dry ranch dressing
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons dried minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in a gallon freezer bag.

When ready to cook, thaw in the refrigerator. Fabulessly Frugal recommends grilling the chicken, but I'm sure you could bake or cook on the stove top as well.

Lemon chicken

I received this cookbook as part of a gift bag for going to the Taste of Home Cooking School. It's a kind of weird book, and I don't know that I agree with the premise of it, but that doesn't mean I won't try the food!

Lemon chicken is a chicken recipe that my dad used to make a lot when I was a child. We used to have chicken 3-4 times a week. To the point that I used to hate eating chicken. Lemon chicken, parmesan chicken, teryiaki chicken, and then chicken casserole with the leftovers. Now that I cook my own food, I don't know what I did without chicken so much in my life. It's delicious and so versatile!

This recipe was great because it was baked. Because I baked it in chicken broth, it stayed incredibly moist. The lemon juice and kalamata olives gave it just that extra kick.

Lemon chicken-adapted from Heartbreak Recovery Kitchen by Jeanne Ambrose & Lindsey Ambrose
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves 6

• Vegetable oil
• 3 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle a little bit of oil in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Place chicken in the pan and top with remaining ingredients. 

Roast for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is 180 degrees with an instant read thermometer.

Chicken noodle soup

Every once in awhile, having a good chicken noodle soup is awesome. It's still pretty cold here in Milwaukee, so it definitely hit the spot last week. This recipe only takes 30 minutes, so it isn't a fantasic soup (I find really good ones take a few hours), but it still tastes great! It was also fantastic for leftovers!

I love to do what I can to prep my meals. I try to tell myself I'm going to prep for the whole week after I get home from the store, but sometimes, that just doesn't happen. This picture is from the night we made the Caprese lasagna roll ups. I had 30 minutes while they were in the oven, so took the time to prep the chicken and veggies so I could just throw together the soup when we got home the next day as we were going to be very busy.

The final product!

Chicken noodle soup-adapted from 5 Ingredient, 15 Minutes Recipes by Weight Watchers

Total time: 30 minutes

Serves 6

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/3 cup celery, chopped
• 1/3 cup carrots, chopped
• 1/3 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 7 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked pasta of your choice (I used medium shells)

Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add chicken, celery, carrots, onion, and black pepper. Cook for about 6 minutes or until chicken begins to brown and vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add pasta, reduce heat to medium and cook for 8 minutes or until pasta is done.

Oven Baked Chicken

I have a confession. I definitely didn't get out of bed until after 11am this morning. Which is unheard of for me. I took today off as I have some extra PTO to burn, and we were at an epic wedding this weekend (congrats Schwais!). Two of our best friends tied the knot and lets just say I was a little of out it.

This is a super simple, but very hearty chicken recipe. The flavor and crunch was awesome and it didn't take me forever to put together. I bet this would be delicious with some mashed potatoes, but I just made some rice and green beans on the side. The perfect meal to make on a day where I didn't do anything.

Oven Baked Chicken-Cheap & Easy Recipes by Gooseberry Patch
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 5

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut chicken in half, like you would butterfly them, but cut through. Place bread crumbs, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese on a large plate and mix thoroughly. In a small bowl, combine garlic and oil.

Dip the chicken pieces in oil, then cover in bread crumbs, then place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes. 

Greek Chicken Stew

As you may have noticed, we've been on a bit of a Greek kick lately. This made really moist chicken that was super tasty! If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can use a sauce pan and then transfer it to a deep casserole dish to put in the oven.

Greek Chicken Stew-adapted from Skinny Ms.
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves 4

• 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning (I use Penzey's)
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup kalamata olives, sliced
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
• Feta cheese and cauliflower rice, for serving

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with Greek seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 3 minutes on one side, flip, add onion, garlic, lemon juice, and orgeano and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add chicken stock, olives, capers and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven and cook for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven, serve with cauliflower rice or potatoes, and top with crumbled feta cheese.

Rotel Chicken Casserole

I can't remember the last time I bought Velveeta. To me, it's like American cheese, I'd just rather not have it. Now I have quite the brick of it to use, but at least this casserole was pretty darn good to make up for it! I found a kind that had jalapenos mixed in and bought that for the extra kick, but you can use plain as well.

Add about 20 minutes to the cooking time if you also need to cook the rice.

Rotel Chicken Casserole-adapted from Cook'n is Fun
Total time: 30 Minutes
Serves 6

• 3 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons Velveeta with jalapenos
• 2/3 cup plain yogurt
• 10 ounce can Rotel
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2/3 cup cooked rice
• 15 ounces kidney beans
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 11x7 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Mix together all ingredients except for shredded cheese. Top with the cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through.

Chicken Marsala Pizza

I love chicken marsala. It's really a comfort food for me. Warm, toasty, and usually served with mashed potatoes. Yummmm.

When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it. Putting something so delicious on a pizza-who would've thought? It definitely didn't disappoint and I'll be making it again!

I used the whole wheat pizza dough recipe I've used in the past. You can certainly use another premade crust as you desire.

Chicken Marsala Pizza-adapted from Pillsbury
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 8

• 1 pizza crust
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound chicken breast, diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup Marsala wine
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a pizza stone with cooking spray. Place pizza dough on stone and bake for 11 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, cook about 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Set aside.

Using the same skillet, add remaining olive oil, butter, onion and mushrooms, stirring frequently for about 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic and cook for one more minute. Stir in wine, cook for 4-5 minutes or until wine is reduced be half. Add heavy whipping cream, parsley, salt, pepper and chicken. Reduce heat, simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occassionally, until thickened.

Sprinkle the pizza crust with 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Spoon chicken mixture over cheese, then top with remaining cheeses. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. 

Bruschetta Chicken Pasta

I've been on a huge bruschetta and caprese kick (they kind of go hand in hand, doncha think?). I just think the flavors are amazing and (usually) very, very fresh. This was a very simple pasta dish that had all the flavors I love.

Bruschetta Chicken Pasta-adapted from Katie's Cucina
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Seasoned salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 pound uncooked spaghetti
• 15 basil leaves, chiffonade

Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.

Meanahile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and salt and pepper to taste and cook until chicken is no longer pink in middle, about 8 minutes, turning frequently. Set aside once cooked.

In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil, butter, and garlic. Heat on medium-high for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, reduce heat to medium and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add lemon juice and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Toss pasta with the sauce, add chicken and basil right before serving.

Cashew Chicken

We got a wok for a wedding gift and I couldn't be more thrilled! I LOVE it! The first thing we made? Cashew chicken!

Cashew Chicken-adapted from Better Recipes

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves 4

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon hoisin
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cashews, chopped

Heat all ingredients, except cashews, in a wok over high heat and stir fry until chicken is fully cooked. Top with cashews and serve with rice, if desired.

Chicken and Biscuits

When I came across this recipe, I knew I had to make it. Scott is a big fan of anything with biscuits (like biscuits and gravy), and I can't blame him! I used frozen veggies that I had on hand, but you could certainly use any that you have. It's just a good, comfort food meal!

Chicken and Biscuits-adapted from Campbell's 1-2-3 Dinners
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 5

• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 cups cooked vegetables
• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced into one inch pieces
• 1 package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 3-quart baking dish mix soups, milk, thyme, pepper, vegetables and chicken. Bake for 15 minutes or until mixture is hot. Stir; arrange biscuits over chicken mixture and bake 15 minutes more, or until biscuits are golden.

Pepperoni Pizza Chicken

Pepperoni Pizza Chicken-adapted from Skinny Mom
Total Time: 7 hours
Serves 8

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 3/4 ounces pepperoni, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Place chicken in a lightly greased slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Top with pepperoni and olives.

In a small bowl, whisk broth, tomato paste and Italian seasoning. Pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low heat for 7 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Five minutes before serving, top chicken with cheese and cover to let the cheese melt. 

Stuffed Chicken with Bacon, Cream Cheese and Chives

Stuffed chicken is one of the more time consuming things I've made. And with how busy I've been lately, I don't like time consuming. However, once it's done and we're eating, it's absolutely delicious! This is a very rich dish, but usually you'll have everything in your kitchen, if you're like me!

Stuffed Chicken with Bacon, Cream Cheese and Chives-adapted from AllRecipes
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 4

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons dried chives
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, chives and garlic. Mold into three balls.

Place one cream cheese ball in the center of a butterflied piece of chicken, fold over, wrap with a slice of bacon and hold into place with toothpicks. Place in a baking dish and repeat with remaining pieces of chicken. Pour butter over chicken. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

Parmesan Baked Chicken

Man, a lot has happened, and it's already been two months since I've posted! I have been cooking, I just haven't been blogging. But I did get married and things have been super crazy at work, so I'm just trying to do things as I can. Finally, back to it!

I do remember eating and making this dish. It was quite simple, and tasted delicious. Other than that, I pretty much have the recipe as is since I didn't make any other notes. Enjoy!

Parmesan Baked Chicken-adapted from 100 Best Chicken Recipes by Good Housekeeping
Total Time: 50 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

On a large plate, mix bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, cornmeal and pepper. In a pie plate, whisk egg white and salt.

Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then coat generously with the bread crumb mixture. Place chicken in prepared pan and continue with remaining pieces. Bake until chicken coating is crisp and juices run clear, about 35 minutes.

Nacho Chicken Rolls

I don't think I've ever made stuffed chicken. The chicken breasts I had for this recipe were gigantic. I really had to pound them down! If you can buy chicken cutlets, that would make it much easier. The recipe was a bit messy, but totally worth it in the end! Putting the crunch, cheese and refried beans together with chicken made my night!

Nacho Chicken Rolls - adapted from 300 Under 300
Total Time: 55 Minutes
Serves 6

• 1 can fat free refried beans
• 1/4 cup fat free cheddar cheese
• 6 wedges Laughing Cow swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup bran cereal
• 8 tortialla chips, crushed
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
• 2 dashes cayenne pepper
• Six chicken breasts or cutlets, pounded to 1/3 inch thickness
• 1/4 cup taco sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x11 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

To make the filling, combine the refried beans and both cheeses in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

In a food processor, grind the cereal to a breadcrumb-like texture. Add chips, taco seasoning and cayenee pepper and pulse slightly. Transfer to a plate.

Lay chicken on a clean, flat surface. Spoon the filling into the center of the chicken. Carefully roll each over the filling and secure with toothpicks. Cover each cutlet with 1 tablespoon taco sauce then roll in the crumb mixture. Gently transfer to the baking pan.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove fil and bake for another 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad

I could not believe how unbelieveably good this chicken salad was. It's a Weight Watcher's recipe too, so if you follow the serving guidelines it's good for you as well! It's super fast and keeps well as leftovers too, so you could definitely make it at the beginning of the week for your lunch!

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad-adapted from Weight Watchers
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 6

• 1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup fat free sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 orange pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake chicken in a casserole dish for about 25 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cumin and chili powder. Stir in the remainder of ingredients. You can chill for up to two hours for best results, but we ate it right away. 

Pesto Chicken

This is quite possibly the easiest and most delicious whole chicken recipe ever. It has three ingredients, and you're done! It takes about an hour, so isn't super fast, but if you're working around the house and don't want to spend a lot of time on dinner prep, this is what you should go with!

Pesto Chicken-adapted from Heather Christo Cooks
Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Serves 4

• 3-4 pound whole chicken
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken on a roasting pan and rub the pesto over the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Roast for 60-75 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Chili Chicken

This was a pretty flavorful chicken. Really easy to put together, and you could probably use any kind of cereal as the "crust". The original recipe calls for crushed corn flakes. I used rice chex because that's what I had on hand.

Chili Chicken-adapted from Recipe.com
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 4

• 1/3 cup rice chex cereal, crushed
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1/3 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 4 bone-in chicken thighs

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a pie plate, combine cereal, chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Pour evaporated milk into a second pie plate.

Dip a piece of chicken in the evaporated milk, then coat with the cereal mixture. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. 

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until chicken is golden and crispy.