Mexican Chicken

The month of December is busy enough without having to worry about "what's for dinner????" This is a quick meal that comes together fast and everyone enjoys it.
Mexican Chicken
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2C salsa(I make my own)
1 (8oz)pkg cream cheese, SOFT
1-2C mexican shredded cheese
1pkg taco seasoning (optional)
Grease a 13x9 dish and place the chicken in it. If you have a smaller family use less chicken and a smaller dish and if you have a bigger family use two dishes and double the ingredients.  Mix the soft cream cheese with the salsa and if you want an extra flavor punch add the package of taco seasoning. Mix well.  Pour over the chicken and COVER with foil and bake for 30minutes at 350. Take out and sprinkle cheese on top and bake another 30 minutes. I have also added corn to the last 30minutes of cooking time.  This creates a wonderful sauce that you serve over the top of the chicken and you could top spanish rice with this too!

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken

This week is fair week in our town.  We started it off by winning free tickets to the Diamond Rio concert! They are an awesome country group with so many hits and they put on a wonderful show.  It is so awesome to see a band that has been together for 20 years and still play a show like it was their first show.  They seemed very genuine and happy to be in our small town. Then last night our 5 year old daughter wanted to go Mutton Busting before the rodeo.  She has never done this before, but as we explained what she would be doing, she was thrilled to try it.  For those of you who don't know what Mutton Busting is, you put your innocent, helpless child on the top of a sheep in a pen and then they let the sheep out and it takes off running with your child on its back and the child who hangs on the longest wins the prize.  This idea thrilled my daughter, this is like the perfect thing for her.  She does this with her dog all the time so she knew she had this one.  We paid the 10 bucks and signed the paper saying we wouldn't press charges on them if she got hurt and put her in a long line of anxious kids. Then it was her turn and the one she was to ride was an awnry one and it was already bucking when it came down to me her before she got on it.  My daughter saw the chaos and the bucking and the cowboys put her helmet on and placed her on the awnry sheep and then the gate never opened......she chickened out!  I really do know she would have done it if it weren't for the sheep bucking and going crazy before she was placed on it.  My husband and I were kinda let down that we just lost 10 bucks and had no show of her riding the sheep, because we knew she would give that thing a ride!  But, I also look at it as a blessing, I think God was protecting her from getting really hurt because that sheep had already bucked a kid off.  We then went to a great rodeo and I got my yearly funnel cake, oh I love those things!  Tonight will be carnival rides and if I am lucky, another funnel cake!
This dish is wonderful and easy. It calls for chili powder, but I didn't add that, I just kept mine sweet with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and the brown sugar. I bought chicken tenderloins instead of the chicken breasts, so I didn't have to cut the chicken. I got this wonderful recipe from the cute blog, Full Bellies, Happy Kids.  She has some yummy recipes on that blog!  I think next time I make this dish that I will combine my bacon wrapped green beans with this recipe.  Put the chicken then green beans and wrap bacon around the both and then use the green bean sauce to pour over the top, I think the combo would be perfect.

Brooke waiting in line for the Mutton Bustin!

 Brooke at the carnival-Braedon went to the Tractor Pull with grandpa

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I made this recipe for my husband for our first Valentine's dinner 13 years ago.  I remember being in the kitchen most of the day preparing everything so it was just right when he came  home from work.  I was so nervous and wanted everything to be just perfect for him.  This chicken recipe was nice because after it is assembled it cooks in the crockpot and you can prepare other dishes.  I remember it smelled wonderful and it tasted even better.  It is one of those dishes that is simple, yet it tastes elegant.  Our first Valentine's dinner turned out perfect and he seemed very impressed.  But, about 5 years later when I made this dish again and I reminded him how it was our first Valentines dinner, he didn't seem to remember....oh well.....that is a man for ya!  I have learned over the years not to take it personal when stuff like that happens! Men and women just don't see things the same....period!
Chicken Cordon Bleu-crockpot
4-6chicken breasts(pounded)
thin slices of ham, one per chicken
slices of swiss cheese, one per chicken
1/4C flour, with salt, pepper, cayenne mixed in
mushrooms, sliced
1/2C chicken broth
1/4C parmesan cheese
2cans cream of mushroom soup
After the chicken is pounded, put a slice of ham and cheese on each chicken breast and roll up.  Secure with a toothpick and roll in the flour mixture.  Put mushrooms and broth in bottom of the crockpot.  Then place the chicken on top and pour the soups over the chicken and top with parmesan cheese.  Cook in crockpot on low for 6-7 hours or on high 3-4hours.  Serve with rice and place the chicken rolls on top and cover with the soup mixture sauce.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I love these sandwiches! I started eating them back when Arby's came out with them a few years ago and just make my own version at home.  You don't have to heat up the house and they are quick and versatile, I just throw in whatever ingredients I happen to have. 
The base is cooked chicken. Use your own that you've precooked, use rotiserrie, or use canned.  This time I used one can of chicken and shredded it good. Then I added around 1/2C mayo. I used 1 green onion, finely chopped and 1 celery stalk, finely chopped.  Add in as many grapes as you like and cut them in halves, I used around 1C of grapes. If you don't want grapes, you could use craisins or raisins.  I diced up an apple and threw it in. I like walnuts on my sandwich, but no one else does, so I throw some walnuts on mine at the end.  Mix everything well and spread onto a croissant, or bread, or a tortilla.
Easy! and very Good!

The kids loved these wrapped in tortillas! I wrapped them in foil and they were perfect for our picnic!

Chicken Poppyseed Pasta Salad

I LOVE pasta salads! They are perfect for hot weather and summer picnics and potlucks and quick suppers! And when the garden is in full bloom it is so fun to go pick half the ingredients and throw them in a bowl and make pasta!  I got this recipe off of allrecipes.com, but like all other recipes,  I change it up a bit to fit what I have in the fridge(or garden) and what our family prefers.  Have fun with it!
Chicken Poppyseed Pasta Salad
1pkg(16oz) penne pasta
11/2C cooked cut up chicken(I use rotisserie, or grilled, or fajita chicken)
2 stalks celery, finely cut up
1C dried cranberries
4 green onions, finely cut up
11/2C creamy poppyseed dressing
2tsp lemon juice(I omit this)
crushed walnuts(optional)
Cook pasta until al dente, about 8-10minutes and drain and cool under cold water and drain very well. Place the pasta, chicken, celery, green onion, cranberries into a large bowl and pour in the dressing and lemon juice and stir evenly. Stir in walnuts if desired. YUMMO!

Malibu Chicken

Wind Wind Go Away, don't ever come back another day! I know this is Kansas, and at that, it's Western Kansas....but, I seriously did not know the wind could blow so strong for so long! WOW! I literally can not even walk in a straight line outside and I know if I put my 5 yr old daughter outside she would blow to Texas!  I guess that means no grilling tonight, ugh! This is a very simple and kid friendly supper that I found over at the cute and yummy blog One Crazy Cookie.  It's a great idea and so tasty! If you don't want to use breaded chicken tenderloins, try the fully cooked grilled chicken breasts, those are good.
Malibu Chicken-
fully cooked breaded chicken tenders
slices of swiss cheese
slices of ham lunch meat
fresh baby spinach(my addition, optional)
Cook chicken tenders according to package directions in the oven. Place some ham lunch meat and then a slice of cheese on top. If using fresh spinach add that too, under the cheese.  Put back in the oven long enough to heat through and melt the cheese, VOILA, supper is done!  I am serving these with roasted asparagus and a fruit salad.  Visit One Crazy Cookie to get her yummy mustard dipping sauce.  We use ranch.   Update: Next time I make these I will use the fully cooked grilled chicken breasts, I think that will keep the chicken moist. The breaded chicken tenders tend to be dry and if you don't dip them in a sauce they are too dry.

Asian Noodles

These noodles were awesome and easy! Please forgive me, I can not remember which blog I got this recipe from, however I did switch it up a bit to make it our own. The kids even loved this dish! We were so hungry I forgot to take a picture of this pretty dish, rats! We will definitley have this again, it was quick and easy and it fixed our Chinese craving!
Asian Noodles
2T vegetable oil
1bag preshredded coleslaw mix
4T soy sauce
1/2C green onions, optional, but they are really good in this! and the kids didn't notice them!
8oz angel hair pasta, I didn't have any, so I used thin spaghetti
4ounces cooked chicken, optional
1can bean sprouts, drained
1can water chestnuts, drained, optional, we love the crunch of these in this dish!
Cook pasta and drain. In skillet, heat oil and add coleslaw, green onions, and can of bean sprouts and water chestnuts and cook until slaw is wilted, around 5-10minutes.  Add chicken, soy sauce and cooked pasta and stir well and heat through.  I added more soy sauce to my dish, everyone else liked the amount as is.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

This is a fun and easy crockpot recipe that you can add ingredients to make it more of a meal, like black beans, rice, corn, green chilies....just whatever your family likes..throw it in! But, this is the core recipe that you start with.  It is good topped with crushed up tortilla chips and shredded cheese. Have fun with it!
Crockpot Salsa Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts(add more if your family is bigger)
You can even throw them in frozen!
1C salsa
1/2-1pkg taco seasoning
1can cream of mushroom soup
1/2C sour cream light
Add chicken to crockpot and sprinkle with amount desired of taco seasoning. Pour salsa(or even a can of diced tomatoes)over the chicken.  Cook on low 6-8hours or high 4-5....just depends how hot your crockpot cooks. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Serve over rice.    Feel free to add the rice to the crockpot and many other ingredients...I like adding in corn and chili beans  (makes it healthier), then I top it with shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

This is in the crockpot and the chicken is on the bottom

Chicken Bake

This is a dish that I have tweeked until I found the right combo for my family. So feel free to use the veggie you like and you could change the cheese for a different taste and it would be great for leftover turkey instead of chicken.  Kids love this casserole and it's easy to sneak in the veggies without them knowing they are hidden within the stuffing!  Stuffing and cheese make anything better! Shoot, if I was a kid again, I'd eat my veggies if they had stuffing and cheese on them, maybe even that darn canned stringy spinach stuff my parents use to make me eat, yuck! That stuff shouldn't even be edible!  That is punishment, making your children eat canned spinach! OK.....I have a confession to make....I use to have to sit at the dinner table until my canned spinach was gone from my plate, which meant that I was still sitting there at bedtime! (my parents were very consistent and meant what they said!and I was very stubborn!)Well, after sitting there for hours each time we had canned spinach, I realized it was cutting into my play time and I did NOT like that! So, the schemer in me thought of an evil plan!(I didn't want to be this way, my parents brought this out in me!) I would only drink half of my milk during supper and then when my family would get up from the table and go into the other room, I would put my untouched spinach into the milk and hope that it stayed hidden! Mom would check my plate and see the spinach gone and I was FREE to go!  I know, terrible right?!  I don't think I ever told my parents about this "scheme" until I had my first child 11 years ago and the tables turned and I thought how my little one may do these terrible things to me! Thank goodness prepackaged fresh spinach came along, that stuff tastes totally different then that canned stuff.....besides, I would never make my children eat canned spinach! Anyways, just a heads up if you are a parent that makes your child sit there until their food is gone....check their milk!  And I forgive you mom and dad for making me eat that stuff!

Chicken(or turkey)Bake
Preheat the oven to 400. Prepare a package of stovetop chicken stuffing according to package directions and set aside.  Mix 2C of cooked and shredded chicken with a bag of frozen broccoli(or your choice of veggie) and place in a greased 13x9 dish. I have also used a 9x9 and it worked great.  Stir together a can of cream of chicken soup with 1/2Cmilk until smooth.  Add a small can of water chestnuts(optional), bag of cooked wild rice(or your choice of flavor) I use the 90second Uncle Bens rice in the microwave. Pour the mixture over the top of the chicken/veggie layer.  Top with a layer of shredded cheddar cheese and then top with the prepared stuffing. Bake for 25-30minutes

Olive Garden Fettucini Alfredo

Note to self: next time you are going to make fettucini alfredo, make sure you have the fettucini! Tonight we had penne alfredo! This is a great copycat version of Olive Garden, but I have changed it a bit.  Do you live in a town where they show t.v. commercials from the big city and you have none of those yummy restaurants even close? I do and the closest Olive Garden I know about is almost 5 hours away! It isn't fair to have to watch those delicious commercials, so when I came across this yummy copycate recipe I gave it a try. It is very good!  I add mushrooms and fresh spinach and grilled chicken.  Start by melting one stick of butter. When this is melted add 2T cream cheese and let this soften.  Then add 1pt of heavy cream and simmer for 10-12minutes while stirring so it will thicken.  Add 1tsp of garlic powder and 1/2C parmesan cheese and stir until heated. 

Now, my version is this: After melting the butter add in mushrooms and saute with minced garlic.  Then add fresh spinach and cook down.  Add heavy cream and pepper and 1tsp garlic powder.  Stir and cook on medium heat for 10-12minutes or until thickened. After thickened, add 1/4C parmesan cheese and stir to heat.  Add in fully cooked grilled chicken chunks.

Spinach and Mushroom Chicken

Today is cold again, and it's a Monday, UGH! Oh well, I've got a lot of house cleaning to do, so it's a good day to be inside.  My allergies have already started so I think that may be a good sign that Spring is in the air...I recently found out I am allergic to all weeds and all grasses and sunflowers and a couple trees.  Can you believe it? A Kansas girl, allergic to sunflowers?! I didn't know it was possible! That should be like against the rules or something.  That's almost as bad if I were allergic to wheat...which thankfully I am not.  And go figure, sunflowers and daisies are my absolute favorite flowers!  I guess my hubby won't have to sneak into a farmer's sunflower field anymore to pick me some wild ones!  He does do that with lilacs, he usually asks first though.  I love wildflowers that you see in the ditches and many fields around here and he will often stop while he is out working in the country and pick me some and bring them home and surprise me!  I love fresh flowers inside, it makes me smile.  Growing up every time I went to my grandma's house she would have flowers, or even branches from her forsythia bush and lilac bush and have them in almost every room in her house....it smelled so good and it was so pretty!  She is very artistic and has a great eye for simple beauty and how to turn something boring into something special.      Today I am posting a recipe I have not tried yet, but recently found in a Taste of Home magazine...I love those magazines and cookbooks! So, if you try it let me know what you think of it...it sounds really good...although I'm not sure my kiddos are going to like it.  It says to cook your chicken while making this, but right now I have some fully cooked grilled and season chicken breasts that I am going to use instead.  One step easier for me. Enjoy!
Spinach and Mushroom Chicken
3C fresh spinach
2C sliced fresh mushrooms
3 green onions, sliced
2T chopped pecans
11/2t olive oil
4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts (4oz each)
seasoning
2 slices provolone cheese, halved
In a large skillet, saute the spinach, mushrooms, onions and pecans in the oil until mushrooms are tender.  Set aside and keep warm.  Sprinkle chicken with seasoning. Spray grill rack if grilling and grill chicken covered over med heat or broil 4in from the heat for 4-5min on each side or until done.  Top with cheese. Cover and grill 2-3min longer. To serve, top each chicken breast with reserved spinach mixture.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Monday,UGH! It is so hard to get going again after a fun and lazy weekend. My baby turns 5 this week, oh my goodness! I can't believe how the older I get the faster the time goes. She is our mighty one, she is a whopping 32pounds, but it is all energy and awnriness and sweetness! She wants a lemon cake with lemon frosting..??? Strange request from a child, but as always, mom will provide. Which means I will be making two cakes because my son and my hubby don't like lemon...go figure! Fun times, fun times! I had cooked a turkey breast in the crockpot and then froze it for later use. That is the best way to cook turkey breast, moist and tender...no dryness at all. I will post how I do that and then the recipe I plan to make tonight with some of the turkey. I will use the rest of the turkey to make chicken(turkey) spaghetti and will post that recipe tomorrow. It is so nice to take already cooked meat out of the freezer and make several meals from it and eat a couple now and freeze a couple for later.
Crockpot Turkey Breast
Wash turkey breast off and place in crockpot. You can add a few raw bacon strips to the top of it and sprinkle some onion soup mix to the top of it. You can put water or chicken broth in the bottom, just enough to cover the bottom. Cook on high 4-5hours or low 8-10. Sometimes I turn it on before going to bed at night. Then let cool and debone. You can keep the leftover broth in the crockpot and then add all the bones to the broth and add in a couple carrots and celery and turn it on low or high and let simmer for several hours and have your own turkey/chicken broth, just strain into containers or mason jars and freeze.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie
2 (9in) frozen pie crusts, or refrigerated
1 pkg frozen mixed veggies
2C cooked, diced chicken or turkey
1 can cream chicken soup, or cream celery soup
1/2C milk
Preheat oven to 350. Combine the mixed veggies, chicken, soup and milk. Pour into the crust. Place the top crust on and seal the edges. Poke holes in the top. Bake 350 for 30min or until golden brown