Recipe Monday - Cheesy Chicken Pasta for Dummies

I went on Pinterest and, like, I totally don't have time to be baking a casserole after I already made the whole dish. So, here's a mac and cheese with chicken that I just did pot-style, and everyone seemed to love it.

Chicken breasts - diced
Bowtie pasta
Summer squash - sliced
Onion
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Cheddar cheese
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Milk
Chicken broth

Dice all your chicken and vegetables, then put sautee the chicken in some olive oil until it's tan around the edges.
Boil your pasta water, and start making the pasta per box directions.
Put squash, onion and garlic in with the chicken until they're all soft.
Add some chicken broth and cook until it boils, then add the milk.
Drain pasta and add it to the mess.
Throw in all your cheeses until the liquid turns to a satisfactory this-is-the-consistency-of-mac-and-cheese consistency.

Serve it up.

Recipe Monday - Lemon Feta Chicken

This was a great recipe. The original used drumsticks, but we prefer white meat around here, so I used breasts and it was fantastic.

Ingredients:

8 skinless chicken drumsticks, (about 30 oz total)
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup feta cheese, grated


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and lemon juice.

Place in a roasting pan and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center near the bone. When chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and sprinkle with feta.

Broil on low for about 2-3 minutes, until cheese is golden brown (careful not to burn).

 

Recipe Monday - Easy Mexican Chicken

I definitely need to make these again soon. A great twist on traditional Mexican, and really easy, too!

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 (20 ounce) jar salsa
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoons chili powder
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained


Directions
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2.Arrange the chicken pieces in a casserole dish or a 9x13 inch baking dish. Combine the salsa, red bell pepper, cumin, lemon juice, chili powder and garlic.



Pour the mixture over the chicken.



Pour the black beans on top and cover.



Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Top with cheese.



We ate baked tortilla chips with cheese, sour cream, and guacamole for a side.

 

Recipe Monday - Dry Rub Tangy Chicken Wings

If you want to make wings, but you don't want the mess of hot sauce, this alternative is amazing! I'm going to make them a lot more often.

Great for parties! I mixed the ingredients in a bag, then tossed in the wings. Threw them in the oven, turning once. Delicious. So much less work than my fried hotwing extravanganzas.

3 pounds chicken wings, joints separated, tips removed

Dry Rub
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Mix all ingredients of the dry rub in a sealable bag. Add the wings and toss to coat evenly.

2. On charcoal grill: Start your kettle grill with a bucket full of coal, wait till they’re nice and hot. When ready, dump the bucket on one side of the grill leaving the other side bare. Put the wings on the hot side the grill. Cook the wings until the coating starts to caramelize and you get some black grill marks, flip the wings and and repeat. Move them to the cool side of the grill, cover and cook for 30-35 minutes (less time if you like your wings juicy, Greg likes his drier).

On gas grill: Turn one side of the grill to high heat, the other side on medium-low heat.

In oven: Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil (this is an important step unless you want to spend an hour scrubbing your pan after cooking). Lay a baking rack on top of the baking sheet and place the chicken wings on top of the rack. Bake for 20 minutes, flip the wings and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

 

Recipe Monday - Easy Chicken Strips With a Kick

These are an easy, kid-friendly, fun meal for when you're not feeling particularly creative.

Ingredients
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
8 small chicken cutlets (1½ pounds total), cut into wide strips (I didn't cut them)
kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 Kirby cucumbers, cut into spears (I used pickles)
1/2 cup ranch dressing (I used Parmesan)

Directions

In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and dill. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Coat the chicken with flour. Dip in the egg (letting any excess drip off). Then coat with the bread crumb mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Serve with the cucumber spears and ranch dressing.


 

Recipe Monday: Easy Cheesy Chicken

This is a super easy recipe that gets five stars around here.

Chicken Breasts
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Parmesan Cheese
Parmesan Dressing

Put chicken in casserole dish and put all other ingredients on top of it. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

That's it. Seriously.



 

Recipe Monday - Liz's Chicken Salad

I made this as a light dinner for friends, and it was a big hit! I added a few ingredients to the original recipe, and we had it in tortilla wraps rather than on buns.

3 cups cooked chicken, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cup seedless grapes, halved (you can use purple ones, but we love green grapes for this)
2/3 cup slivered almonds (you can toast these but you don't have to)
1/2 cup thinly-sliced celery
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (doesn't have to be fresh)
1 tsp salt
1 can of pineapple tidbits, or 2 medium sized fresh pineapples, cut into bits

Mix it all together in a big bowl.

I added dried cranberries and pears to this!

Delicious!



 

Recipe Monday - Chicken Parm

Everyone knows how to make chicken parmesan, but in case you don't, here's my recipe.

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 slices mozzarella cheese, or more
• 1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
• Parmesan cheese

Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.


Set chicken in a baking dish. Slice 8 pieces of mozzarella cheese and put two on each chicken breast. Pour 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over all.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella and bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

I added sundried tomatoes to mine.




 

Recipe Monday - Easy Honey Mustard Chicken

This is a favorite here, and it's really easy.

 Ingredients:
Chicken Breasts
Honey
Dijon Mustard
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Honey Dijon Salad Dressing

Place the chicken in a baking pan, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Squeeze out as much honey and dijon as you'd like over the breasts.

 Douse the whole thing in salad dressing and cook for a half hour on 350.

 It's on the favorite list around here, for sure.


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Recipe Monday - BBQ Chicken Naan

A delicious twist on pizza. Goes great with soups of any kind.

• 2 small chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin 
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika 
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• naan bread 
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce 
• 1 1/2 cups grated monterey jack cheese 
• 3 green onions (finely chopped)--didn't have, didn't use, used yellow onion instead

Preheat and indoor or outdoor grill to medium-high. Combine the oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl; brush on the chicken. Grilled the chicken 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Cool the chicken to room temperature and then thinly slice.

Preheat the 400°F

Set the naan on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread the top of the naan with the barbecue sauce. Arrange the chicken on top of the barbecue sauce; sprinkle with the cheese and green onions. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the naan is crispy.

 

Recipe Monday - Bacon Cheese Chicken

Chicken
Bacon
Onion
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Cheese
Olive oil
Butter

First, fry up your bacon and set it aside. Also, preheat your oven to 325.


Then pour out the grease, but don't wipe the pan. Add a splash of oil and a tablespoon of butter. Saute your chicken about 4-5 minutes on each side. Put them aside.

In the same pan, fry your onion and garlic.

Place chicken, bacon and onion and garlic, in that order, in a casserole dish. Top with cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until chicken is done and cheese is melted.

Delicious.

Recipe Monday - Lemon Curry Chicken Tenders

Spice up your chicken tenders. This is the best sauce I've ever found for them. Ever.

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a bowl, stir together paprika, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle seasoning over chicken pieces. Dip pieces in egg, then dredge in bread crumbs.

Arrange chicken pieces in a single layer in an aluminum foil-lined 15x10-inch jelly roll pan (I only had that casserole dish)

3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, turning once.

4. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together sugar, lemon juice, and curry powder, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. 

5. Drizzle lemon sauce over chicken, return to oven, and bake 5 minutes more.

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Recipe Monday - Buffalo Wings Made at Home

There are hot wings and there are hot wings, and these come out smashing if you've got the time to prepare them. I make them for dinner sometimes, but they're best made for the big game, to be honest!

Ingredients:

~1 cups canola oil
~20 chicken wings
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Hot Sauce
2 teaspoon white wine vinegar (I had red wine vinegar. It worked just as well)


For homemade Blue Cheese dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion (I skipped this, I didn't feel like chopping)
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (canned)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (dried: 1/8 of a cup)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (again, red, again, fine)
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled (I didn't have blue cheese... so I used grated parmesan. It tasted great, honest)

First thing, heat your oil. Put that sucker on high, and just let it stew while you chop your chicken wings. Chop off the tips of each chicken wing and throw them away. Then cut each wing in half at the joint.

Season the bunch with salt and pepper.

If you are going to make your own Blue Cheese dressing, chop the garlic, onion and parsley while you are waiting for the oil to heat up. (Or don't. With the ingredients I used I didn't have to.)

Fry the wings in the oil until they are golden. Put on T.V. for your kids because they CANNOT be in the kitchen for this one.

It should take about 6 to 8 minutes for each batch to fry. (I found this to be a lie. The first batch takes AT LEAST 15 minutes. After that, they're quicker. Remember, no one likes raw chicken.)

Remove them to a plate covered with a couple of layers of paper towels to drain the oil. Then place them in a large bowl.

In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. (I used a frying pan because I didn't have a saucepan that was clean). Add the hot sauce and vinegar.

 Add the sauce to the wings in the bowl.

For the Blue Cheese dressing:

In a small bowl, add all the ingredients together. Gently stir together until well mixed.

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