Coronation Chicken

I've visited England twice and both times I've had coronation chicken. The first time I tried it was 2 years ago in a tea sandwich at the Orangery Restaurant in Kensington Gardens. Just a couple of months ago I had it at a cafe down the street from Rochester Castle and Cathedral. It was served on a baguette. Then 2 days later, I had it again at coaching inn/pub called The Hen and Chicken in Alton. Gavin ordered it as well because he had tried my sandwich and liked it. His was served on a jacket potato (aka baked potato) and my was again on a baguette. I love chicken salad, but this isn't normal chicken salad. For one, it's practically royal. The original recipe was created for Queen Elizabeth's coronation banquet in 1953. The other thing I love about it is the flavor! It's a curried chicken salad with fruit! I looked up a few recipes and decided to make some of my own. I need to say a few things about ingredients. The recipe I based this one off of called for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts which I have discovered are practically impossible to find, at least in my regular grocery stores. I used boneless, skinless, instead and it worked great. I substituted burgundy cooking wine for red wine, but you could also just use chicken broth. Mango chutney might be hard to find. It'll be in the jam/jelly section. I found mine at Walmart and the recipe used about half the jar. I put the rest in a ziplock bag and froze it for next time. The mango chutney adds a lot of flavor, so don't skip it. Tomato puree is in the canned tomatoes section. My store only had Hunt's brand. I also froze the leftovers of that for next time. I really wanted to add crème fraîche to my coronation chicken. BUT it's hard to find and if you do it's gross stuff in a jar (just like the clotted cream) and is not the same and it's expensive. You can make your own, but that takes pasteurized whipping cream, NOT ultra-pasteurized which is also not carried at the regular grocery store, so I improvised! I bought Mexican Crema because I live in San Antonio and THAT is something that IS carried at my stores and is not expensive. Mexican Crema is Mexican table cream and is comparable to crème fraîche (google it!) but runnier. So I added it last to make my coronation chicken just as creamy as I wanted it to be. 

Coronation Chicken
adapted from a nytimes recipe
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 TBSP olive oil
Salt
Pepper
2 TBSPs unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
½ cup burgundy cooking wine or chicken broth
6 TBSPs mango chutney
¼ cup tomato purée
3 TBSPs curry powder
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 dried bay leaf
1 cup mayonnaise
3 ounces dried apricots, finely chopped (about 15 apricots)
1/2 cup golden raisins (aka sultanas)
1/2 to 1 cup of crème fraîche (OR Mexican crema OR more mayo)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub chicken on all sides with olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 45 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let chicken cool slightly chop meat into bite-size pieces or shred. Set aside.
2. While chicken is baking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cooking wine, mango chutney, tomato purée, curry powder, lemon juice and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as necessary, until sauce is thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf. Transfer sauce to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature
3.Once sauce has cooled, add the mayonnaise and stir to combine. Add the cooled chicken, apricots, and the golden raisins, and stir to coat them in the sauce. Stir in 1/2 to 1 cup of crème fraîche (OR Mexican crema OR more mayo) to create desired creaminess. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve on bread for sandwiches or on baked potatoes.

Hawaiian Haystacks

I was a cabin mom for a week of camp in August, and had Hawaiian haystacks for the first time there. It's just a creamy chicken gravy over rice, but then you put on all kinds of yummy toppings! It's kinda like a create your own dinner which is great for picky kids.

Hawaiian Haystacks
adapted from iwashyoudry.com
2 (10.5oz) cans Cream of Chicken Soup with Herbs
8 oz sour cream
1/2 cup milk
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
6 cups prepared hot rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
Chopped tomato
Diced bell pepper
Pineapple tidbits
Diced green onions
Sliced black olives
Shredded cheese
Crunchy chow mein noodles
Dessicated coconut

In a large skillet whisk together the cream of chicken soups, sour cream and milk over medium heat, until heated through and smooth. Add in the chicken and cook until warmed. Serve the chicken gravy over the hot rice, and top with any of the suggested toppings you would like.

Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheddar Pasta

I bought an Instant Pot a few months ago and have been collecting dinner recipes. Here's my first one! This can be a side or you can add chicken to make it a one pot meal. When I add chicken, I cook a couple of frozen chicken breasts on high pressure with 2 cups of water for 15 min. Then I remove them and use the pot for the pasta. You can even measure out the leftover water that the chicken cooked in, and use that too. Makes a lot! Feeds my family of 6 with leftovers.

Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheddar Pasta
adapted from adventuresofanurse.com
16oz pasta (I like penne, rotini, or farfalle)
4 cups water
1 16oz bag frozen broccoli
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup milk OR half and half
1 tsp of salt
Pepper to taste

1. Place pasta and 4 cups of water in Instant Pot. Dump bag of frozen broccoli on top of pasta. Do not stir.
2. Turn pot on manual HIGH pressure for 4 minutes. After it has finished, do a quick release.
3. Turn pot to saute. Add in milk, cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted.

Add chopped cooked chicken if desired.

Creamy Wild Rice and Chicken Soup

It's going to be in the 80's here today, but it's WINTER, so I'm posting a soup recipe! This soup reminds me of chicken pot pie filling, but with rice of course. The rice is baked in the oven, so while it's doing it's thing, you can cook your chicken and chop up all your veggies. I like to cook my chicken in my Instant Pot, and then use the leftover broth in the soup. 

Creamy Wild Rice and Chicken Soup

1 7 oz. box of Long Grain and Wild Rice Mix (like Zatarain's pic below)
2 cups water
1 tsp chicken bouillon granuals OR 1 cube
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 TBSPs chopped fresh parsley
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine rice, water, and bouillon in a 3 quart or 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Set aside.
2. Melt butter in skillet over med-high heat. Saute onion, celery and carrots in butter until soft. Stir in flour and cook until bubbly.
3. Add broth and parsley. Cook and stir until thickened.
4. Add baked rice and chicken; mix well. Add cream and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until heated through.

Makes 6 servings

Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Slow cooker recipes are my favorite. It's so nice to prep dinner in the morning and have it ready when it's time to eat! In this recipe, you cook the chicken and sauce in the slow cooker, then cook your pasta separately and mix it together before serving. My kids love this meal!

Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
adapted from familyfreshmeals.com
1 lb. chicken breasts
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1 oz) packet dry ranch dressing mix
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
½ tsp of pepper
½ cup water
8 oz. of spaghetti, cooked
 6 strips of bacon, cooked and diced
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray; place chicken breasts in cooker.
2. In medium bowl, mix garlic, ranch, soup, sour cream, pepper, and water. Pour over top of chicken.
3. Cover; cook on low heat setting 6 hours or on high heat setting 3 to 4 hours.
4. When about 15 minutes are left, cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package.
5. Just before serving, shred chicken with 2 forks, and toss creamy chicken mixture with cooked spaghetti, cooked bacon, and peas. Salt and pepper to taste.

Artichoke, Chicken, and Spinach Lasagna

I'm moving in 10 days! Pretty soon I'll have a whole new kitchen to cook in! Before that happens, I need to get some things posted. I made this lasagna last week and LOVED it! Will definitely want to make it again, so here it is!

Artichoke, Chicken, and Spinach Lasagna
adapted from cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com
2 TBSPs olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
2 (14 ounce) cans artichoke hearts, well-drained and chopped
1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 beaten egg
1 TBSP fresh chopped parsley
3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, stacked and cut into thin strips (stems removed)
9 lasagna noodles, cooked
Sauce
4 TBSPs butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
Dash of nutmeg
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

1. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, chicken, Italian seasoning and season well with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often until chicken is cooked through. Add artichokes and stir them into the chicken. Cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella, the egg and parsley. Add spinach strips and mix them into the ricotta mixture.
3. Make the sauce: In a large, heavy duty saucepan melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 3 - 4 minutes, whisking often. Slowly whisk in milk, turn heat up and bring to a simmer. Maintain a simmer for 4 minutes, stirring often. Turn heat down to low and stir in nutmeg, Parmesan cheese and a pinch or two each of salt and pepper, continue stirring until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.
4. Assemble the lasagna: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Add a very thin layer of sauce over bottom of the pan, then a layer of 3 noodles. Spread 1/2 the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles, then top with 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Pour 1/3 of remaining sauce over the chicken as evenly as possible followed by another layer of noodles, and then the remaining 1/2 of ricotta, 1/3 of the chicken and 1/3 of the sauce. Cover with another layer of noodles followed by the remaining sauce, the remaining chicken mixture and the 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake 45 - 50 minutes until bubbly and hot in the middle. If the top starts to get too brown tent with aluminum foil. Allow to set 5 - 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Here's the order of layers in a list (easier for me to follow).
Tiny bit of sauce
3 noodles
1/2 of ricotta
1/3 of chicken
1/3 of sauce
3 noodles
1/2 ricotta
1/3 chicken
1/3 sauce
3 noodles
rest of sauce
rest of chicken
1/2 cup cheese

BBQ Chicken and Broccoli Cheese Baked Potato - Meal Idea

This meal once was a made up leftover idea all piled on top of a potato. I had leftover Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken and leftover Broccoli Cheese Soup during the week and decided they'd be good together. It didn't disappoint! Since then, it has become a real dinner, but I still use leftover BBQ chicken and leftover soup (which is thick like a sauce). I also tried cooking my potatoes in the slow cooker which worked really well. I like to put a little butter on my baked potato, top with the shredded chicken and then pour on the soup. A little salt and pepper never hurts either. 

Links to the soup and the chicken:
Broccoli Cheese Soup 
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers

This week I jumped right in to exercising and eating healthy so that I could get rid of some of that baggage that comes along with fudge, cookies, hot cocoa, scones, ice cream cake, and everything else that is good. This was one of the new recipes I tried and I LOVED it! The only change I made from the original was adding a little extra cheese. :) BUT if you are a real stickler you can even leave the cheese off and it'll still be great. If you're a fan of quinoa, you can use it as a substitute for the brown rice. I had a little bit of leftover filling that didn't fit in the peppers and 2 of my kids ate it in tortillas. So if you're making this hoping your kids will eat it too, tortillas might be a good option.

Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers
adapted from cookingclassy.com
3/4 cup dry brown rice (2 cups cooked)
5 medium red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSPs canola oil, divided
1 lb chicken, diced into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tsp chili powder, divided
1 tsp ground cumin, divided
1/4 tsp paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (10 oz) can tomatoes with green chiles
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
3 TBSPs fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 TBSP fresh lime juice
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
Sour cream, optional
Mexican Style Hot Sauce. optional

1. Prepare brown rice according to directions listed on package.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut peppers in half lengthwise (through stem), seed and de-vein, then boil 4 - 5 minutes (fully immersing them in the water), just until tender. Drain well and place in baking pans, set aside.
3. Heat 1 TBSP oil in a large and deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until golden about 5 minutes, then add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer, transfer onion mixture to a plate; set aside.
4. Using the same skillet, heat remaining 1 TBSP oil, add chicken, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, the paprika and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, add cooked brown rice, onion mixture, tomatoes, black beans, corn, remaining 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, cilantro, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook just until heated through.
6. Fill each pepper half with a heaping 1/2 cup of the mixture, pressing slightly to fit. Pour enough water into bottom of baking dishes to reach 1/8-inch in height (careful not to pour it in peppers).
7. Cover baking dishes with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes, until peppers are soft. Remove from oven, sprinkle tops evenly with cheese then return to oven to bake until cheese has melted, about 3 minutes longer.

Serve warm topped with more cilantro, sour cream and hot sauce if desired.

Caprese Chicken Panini

I bought a beautiful basil plant from Trader Joe's! It sat on my porch for a month until I finally decided I had better make use of  it! We had these sandwiches for lunch and they were amazing! I made them in a sandwich press, but you can cook them on the stove top too.

Caprese Chicken Panini
Bread (I sliced up a loaf of french bread)
Fresh mozarella slices
Deli lunch meat chicken
Tomato slices
Basil leaves
Balsamic vinegar
Mayo
Butter, if desired

Spread a slice of bread with mayo. Layer chicken, tomato slices, basil leaves, mozarella. Drizzle mozarella with a little balsamic vinegar. Top the sandwich with another slice of bread. Butter the outer sides of the bread, if desired, and cook them in a sandwich press or a skillet on the stove top until golden.

Here's the cheese I used. It had a $1.00 off coupon attached. ;)

Chicken and Biscuits

I made this for dinner last night and it was a hit! Almost like a chicken pot pie, but so much easier, and just as tasty. It made the perfect amount for my family with no leftovers.

Chicken and Biscuits
adapted from kraftfoods.com
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup sour cream, divided
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 cups frozen mixed veggies, thawed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup Bisquick
3 TBSPs milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix soup and 1/2 cup of sour cream in a 2 quart baking dish. Add chicken, veggies, and cheese; mix until combined.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine remaining sour cream, Bisquick, and milk. Stir until dough forms.
3. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls onto top of chicken mixture making 6 biscuit mounds.
4. Bake 35-40 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

Serves 4-6

Chicken and Dumplings

Can't get much better than this classic comfort food! Everyone should have a chicken and dumplings recipe to pull out during the winter. Especially my Texas friends during snowstorms. :) This is my sister Leann's recipe. We had it for dinner a couple of weeks ago. I loved it, and ended up eating it for lunch and a leftover dinner. A couple of my family members couldn't get over the dumpling texture. These dumplings (like most chicken and dumpling recipes) are made from dough dropped directly into the boiling soup. The soup cooks the dough leaving it moist on the outside and bread-like on the inside (see close up pic below). And by the way, this is my 100th main dish post! Hope you've been able to find some recipes for fantastic meals!

Chicken and Dumplings

Leann Crook
5 chicken leg quarters or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used leg quarters)
4 cans (14.5 oz ea) chicken broth
2 cups water
2–3 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 cups Bisquick or other biscuit mix
1 cup milk

1. In large pot combine chicken, chicken broth, 2 cups water, carrots, celery, onion, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Boil 30–40 min or until chicken is cooked.
2. Remove chicken and shred. Return shredded chicken to pot. Return soup to a boil.
3. In small bowl combine flour and ½ cup milk. Add to boiling soup. Add cream of chicken soup. Bring back to a simmer and stir 4-5 minutes until soup is slightly thickened.
4. In separate bowl combine Bisquick and 1 cup milk. Drop by spoonfuls into boiling soup. Boil 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep chicken from sticking to bottom of pan.
5. Serve hot with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 6-8 servings.

Up close with a dumpling.

I love this! It saves me lots of time when chopping veggies!

Thai Yellow Curry

I'm not one for branching out to other cuisines really. I'd rather go out to eat when wanting something like teriyaki or curry. This recipe has changed my mind about that. I had this curry at a friends house. It is her recipe that she has perfected after trial and error. She suggests specific ingredients that you might have to get at an Asian or Middle Eastern grocery store, but I was able to find most everything at my Central Market. You can get the curry paste in the can from Amazon. If you can't find garlic ginger paste (or don't want to buy a huge jar) you can used equal parts jarred minced garlic and jarred chopped ginger found in the produce section at the store. Make sure you get the coconut cream that does NOT have added sugar. If you can't find it at your regular grocery store, go get it at Trader Joes. It does take a bit of time to cut up all the chicken and veggies, but it is worth it! It makes a lot! I'm talking about a gallon. We had it for 3 meals and then froze the rest. I'm so glad that I was able to add this recipe to my blog! Gives it an exotic feel, don't you think? :) Thanks Jennifer!

Thai Yellow Curry

Jennifer Qureshi 
1/4 cup canola oil
2 TBSPs ginger garlic paste (see pic) OR 1 TBSP jarred minced garlic and 1 TBSP jarred chopped ginger
1 can Maesri yellow curry paste (see pic)
2 TBSPs Madras Curry Powder (see pic)
3 cups chicken broth
5-8 yellow potatoes peeled and cut into large pieces
1 16oz bag baby carrots
2 (15oz) cans coconut cream
1 1/2 lbs chicken, sliced into bite size pieces
2 red onions cut into chunks
2 bell peppers, any color
Salt to taste
Cilantro to taste

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add ginger garlic paste; stir and cook for 3 min.
2. Add curry paste; cook and stir for 2-3 min. Add curry powder; cook and stir for 1 min.
3. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Add potatoes and carrots; cook 15 min, covered.
4. Add coconut cream; stir. Bring to a boil; add chicken; cook for 5-10 min covered, but not on high or the cream will get lumpy, so watch it!
5. Add onion, and bell pepper. Simmer covered for 10 min more or until you like the tenderness of veggies.
6. Add salt and cilantro to taste. Serve over sticky rice.

Fajita Grilled Cheese Sandwiches - Meal Idea

After you make these Chicken Fajitas, you should use the leftovers to have another meal of Fajita Grilled Cheese Sandwiches! They are better than you think! You don't really need a recipe for it, but I'll give you one anyway. :)

Fajita Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Bread

Butter or margarine for grilling 

Shredded cheese

Leftover chicken fajita meat with peppers and onions

Avocado, mashed

Heat a skillet or frying pan to medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Layer on cheese, fajita mixture, then avocado. Grill until golden. Serve with salsa and sour cream. Eat.

Chicken Fajitas

Another new main dish recipe! I'm sure fajitas aren't new to you, but maybe this marinade is. Loved it and will definitely use this recipe again. 

Chicken Fajitas

adapted from tasteofhome.com

4 TBSPs canola oil, divided

2 TBSPs lime juice
1 1/2 tsps seasoned salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded to 1/4 inch thick
1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
1 medium green pepper, julienned
1 small onion, sliced
Tortillas, shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and other desired toppings.

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 2 TBSPs oil, lime juice and seasonings; add the chicken. Seal and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1-4 hours (the longer the better).
2. In a large skillet, saute peppers and onions in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm.
3. Discard marinade. In the same skillet, cook chicken over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Remove from pan and slice.
4. Return pepper mixture and chicken to pan; heat through.
5. Spoon filling down the center of tortillas; fold in half. Serve with desired toppings.
Makes 8 servings.

Finished Product

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Skillet Dinner with Bacon

We love pretty much anything with bacon and cheese, so if I can add those ingredients to a dinner, my family will love it. This is just like a chicken and rice casserole, but assembled in an oven proof or cast iron skillet. If you don't have one, you can transfer everything to a casserole dish, just make sure it's safe to use under the broiler. There is a lot of Tabasco flavor in this dish, so beware that you might need to cut down on the amount for kids.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Skillet Dinner with Bacon
adapted from picky-palate.com
1/2 pound bacon
4 TBSPs butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 TBSPs Tabasco Sauce
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
4 cups cooked white rice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook bacon, drain and set aside. Reserve 2 TBSPs bacon drippings.
2. Place butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted whisk in flour, and pepper until smooth and bubbly. Slowly whisk in chicken broth. Increase heat to high whisking broth until thickened. Reduce heat to low and stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese. Stir in Tabasco sauce. Reduce heat to a simmer and set aside.
3. Place reserved 2 TBSPs bacon drippings back to oven proof skillet. Stir in cooked rice. Add chicken and cheese sauce, mixing to combine. Top with 1 cup cheddar cheese then top with crumbled cooked bacon. Place under oven’s broiler for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

It's starting to get warm! We've already had a few days in the 70s, and if I use my oven on those days, we bake too! I found another great summer main dish salad that we really enjoyed. This is a spin on a chicken Caesar salad with the addition of pasta and cheese to make it a meal. To really keep the heat out of your house, you could even grill the chicken outside. If you are feeling extra healthy add some veggies like cucumber or tomato.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
adapted from yoga chef
1/2 cup plus 2 TBSPs Caesar salad dressing, divided (we like Kraft)
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (shredding a brick is best)
6 oz penne pasta, cooked, rinsed with cold water, and drained
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup croutons
Pepper to taste

1. Brush the 2 TBSPs of dressing onto both sides of the chicken breasts. Cook in a skillet or grill pan over medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove from pan and let cool 15 minutes. Cut into chunks.
2. Combine cheeses in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Combine pasta and remaining 1/2 cup Caesar dressing in a large bowl. Add chicken and 1 1/2 cups of cheese mixture; toss well. Add lettuce, toss, and transfer to serving plates. Top with remaining cheese, croutons, and pepper.

Serves 6

Calzone

I don't use ricotta in nearly enough recipes, but there's plenty in this one. :) I'm all about easy, so I make my dough in my bread machine on the dough cycle. The filling is lots of cheese and whatever toppings you like. We use ham and pineapple, pepperoni, olives, spinach, chicken, tomatoes, things we normally like on pizza. Dip in marinara or spaghetti sauce. Add a little crushed red pepper if you are brave.

Calzone
adapted from allrecipes.com
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 TBSPs white sugar
1 TBSP powdered milk
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsps instant yeast or bread machine yeast

1 15oz. container ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
Pizza toppings
Melted butter
Marinara sauce for dipping

1. To Make Dough: Place water, sugar, powdered milk, flour, salt, and yeast in the pan of the bread machine, in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select Dough cycle.
2. After cycle is completed, remove dough from pan, divide into 4 equal parts, roll into balls, and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, egg, and salt. Mix well. Add desired toppings and stir until combined (I use around 1 1/2 cups total of toppings).
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough ball into a 10 inch circle. Transfer each dough round onto lightly greased cookie sheets (I fit 2 per cookie sheet)
5. Spoon cheese mixture onto half of each dough round. Pull other half of dough up and over the filling. Seal edges with fork, or pinch closed. Cut small slits on top of calzone and brush with melted butter.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. If using two pans, rotate halfway through baking. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.
Makes 4 large calzones.

Easy Chicken Salad - Meal Idea

This is my dream lunch. I have been a little obsessed with it lately. All you need is cooked shredded chicken, chopped apple, chopped celery, seasoned salt, and mayo (or even Greek yogurt). I like to top it with some lettuce or baby spinach. It is especially good with leftover Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken. In my picture, I had it on a Hawaiian Sweet Roll. Yum! 

Chicken Barley Soup

I've already made a couple of new things this year that I'm exited to post. First is this soup. I had never cooked with barley before making this. It's just something that is not in my normal diet, but I do like the taste. I decided to try this recipe because it's easy and pretty much chicken noodle soup, but with barley instead of noodles. It's very versatile too because you can add whatever veggies you want. I used frozen corn, carrots, and peas. Rotisserie chicken would give the soup the most flavor, but I just used some cubed leftover chicken and a little shredded chicken from my freezer. I ate some of this the next day for lunch, and it needed a little extra liquid so added some water. I'm glad to have a new and healthy soup in my collection. :)

Chicken Barley Soup
adapted from grit.com
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
2 cans (14 1/2oz each) chicken broth
1 cup water
3/4 cup quick cooking barley
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups frozen vegetables
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, optional

In large pot, combine chicken, onion, celery, broth, water, barley and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Yields 4-6 servings.

Meal Idea - BBQ Chicken Flat Bread Pizza

This is more of a meal idea than an actual recipe because I didn't measure ingredients and you can make it so many different ways. I had some leftover BBQ chicken from this recipe here that I needed to use. I bought a package of flat bread pitas to use as my crust. I squirted a little bbq sauce on the pitas and spread it around. Then I sprinkled on my leftover BBQ chicken, some shredded cheddar, and green onion. I baked them on cookie sheets @425 for 10-15 minutes. The pita got nice a crunchy and I loved how easy it was to make!