SRC Reveal: Root Beer Chicken with BBQ Sauce

It's reveal day for Group A of The Secret Recipe Club.  This month I was assigned the blog Everyday Mom.  Kim is an avid baker and has lots of tasty looking dessert recipes on her blog!  I ended up opting for a savory choice though.  With the weather turning warmer I thought that this Root Beer Chicken looked like a perfect weekend dinner.  This means that my husband, "The Weekend Chef" helped prepare and cook this.  We've cooked chicken like this before but used a beer can.  This is the "non-alcoholic" version! The chicken rub is tasty and it is cooked on the grill.  The sauce was different with an interesting flavor from the root beer, molasses, and orange and lemon juice.  We all enjoyed this dish.  The chicken turned out moist and my kids are big "sauce" lovers.  So they enjoyed this a lot.

Root Beer Chicken with BBQ Sauce

recipe from Everyday Mom

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
Chicken Seasoning (see below)
1 can root beer
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup orange juice
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. molasses
½ tsp. ginger powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder

Directions:
Prepare grill, for indirect cooking.

Wash and pat dry chicken. Generously sprinkle entire chicken with chicken seasoning. Pour out and reserve, 1 cup of root beer. Place chicken on top of open can, so chicken is standing upright. Place chicken on back half of grill, use the legs and can as a tripod to help the chicken stand. Close cover and let chicken cook for at least an hour or until thermometer, placed in thickest part, reads 160°-165°. Remove from heat, let chicken rest for 10 minutes, slice and serve.

While the chicken cooks, combine the 1 cup of root beer set aside and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Place over medium high heat, stirring continuously bring to a boil. Once mixture has reached a boil reduce temperature to medium low and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly then serve with roasted chicken.

Chicken Seasoning
(slightly adapted)

2 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Lemon Pepper (can use plain pepper and lemon zest)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients in small bowl, stir until combined.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Honey Ginger Glazed Chicken

I found some boneless chicken thighs on sale at the grocery store and picked up a few packs.  I stuck them in the freezer, until I could find a recipe to use them in. Then I realized that my friend, and fellow blogger, Ashley (go check out her blog Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen) from my Supper Club made this chicken dish for our Asian themed dinner back in March using boneless chicken thighs.  Everyone had enjoyed it so I thought I'd make it for the family.  This dish is really quick and easy to make.  It is also really flavorful!  Even better, the kids loved it too!  I served this with rice and broccoli to complete the meal.  My chicken ended up with more of a sauce than a glaze, as seen in this pic, but it was still really tasty.  We even drizzled it over our rice!

Honey Ginger Glazed Chicken
recipe from Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen, via food.com, courtesy of Sue Lau

Total Time: 25 mins
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
fresh cilantro stem (for garnish)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in the wok.

2. Add onion and stir-fry until golden.

3. Add chicken and stir-fry until browned.

4. Add the garlic, ginger, honey, fish sauce, soy sauce, and five-spice powder.

5. Toss to combine.

6. Cook until chicken is nicely glazed and heated through.

7. Place on serving platter and garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

This post is shared at:
Fabulous Friday @ Real Housemoms
Foodie Friday @ Simple Living and Eating
Sweet & Savory Saturdays @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later
Show andTell Saturday @ Be Different Act Normal

Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker

I always have difficulty with recipes that call for already "cooked" chicken.  I've had to cook chicken breasts before starting a recipe....not fun.  I've tried cooking a batch of chicken breasts in the slow cooker at one time and then shredding the chicken, which isn't too bad.  But then I found this recipe.  At first my husband and I were kind of skeptical.  However, if you want a whole chicken for dinner on a weeknight, this is totally the way to go.  Since first finding this recipe a few weeks ago, we've actually made it again.  The spice rub gives the chicken good flavor and the slow cooker keeps it moist.  Broiling it at the end crisps the skin up nicely.  We actually made this for a weekend dinner, and then I was able to  use the leftover chicken for another recipe.  This is definitely our go to recipe now for a quick and easy chicken dinner....and it gives us leftover chicken to use in another recipe later in the week!

Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker
recipe adapted from The Little Kitchen, originally adapted from food.com

Ingredients:

Rub Ingredients
4 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

3 1/2 to 4 1/2 lbs roasting or fryer chicken
2 garlic cloves

Directions:
Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.

Remove chicken from packaging and remove neck and pouch with organs. Discard or reserve for later use in another recipe. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

Rub garlic all over outside of the chicken. Put garlic inside the chicken. Rub the rub all over the outside and inside the chicken. Place chicken in slow cooker and cover. Cook chicken on low for 4-8 hours. Cook until the internal temperature of the leg is at 160 degrees F or use a pop-up thermometer as the original recipe calls for (cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken).

Remove chicken and place in a 9x13 glass baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes. Allow chicken to rest after removing it from the broiler for 5-10 minutes.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

This post is shared at:
Work it Wednesday @ High Heels & Grills
Back For Seconds Social Link Party @ Back for Seconds
Fabulous Friday @ Real Housemoms
Foodie Friday@ Simple Living and Eating

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Although it's officially spring, the weather here in New York still feels like winter.  Cold enough that a casserole for dinner sounded good.  My kids have gotten used to me asking, "How would you rate tonight's dinner?" that my daughter often volunteers her rating before I even ask.  Another dinner that I made this past week (my Secret Recipe Club recipe which will be revealed April 8) was first rated 10 thumbs up!  But once my daughter tasted this she edited her previous rating.  "That one gets down a little to maybe 8 1/2 or 9 and this dinner gets 10 stars!"  This has all the flavors and components of Chicken Cordon Blue in a one dish meal.  This was a dinner that we all enjoyed....even my picky eater of a son!  A couple of days after I made this my dad came over to watch the kids so my husband and I could go out to dinner with my brother.  I had some of this leftover that I told him he could eat for dinner.  He enjoyed this so much that he's been asking me for the recipe.  A reminder to myself to read through a recipe in its entirety either the night before or earlier in the day.  If you don't pre-make some of this, it can take over 2+ hours.  I had some Tyson already cooked grilled chicken breasts in the freezer which I thawed in the microwave and then marinated while I finished prepping this.  So, it didn't get the hour of marinating time but it saved me about 30 minutes of chicken cooking time.  Plus, the chicken had a grilled/smoky flavor that added a nice touch to the dish.  I also bought the already diced cooked ham which saved chopping time.  With a pint of heavy cream this is not a "light" dish but it is really tasty!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
recipe adapted from I Thee Cook

Ingredients:

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cooked and chopped
1 cup Honey Dijon Salad Dressing
1/2 Pound diced ham
1 pound large pasta shells

Cheese Sauce:
1 pint heavy cream
1 tsp prepared Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt, and then to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
8oz Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
8oz Swiss Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions:
Place chicken in a zip lock bag with honey dijon dressing and marinate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in a baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes.

While chicken is baking cook pasta according to package directions drain and set aside.

To prepare the cheese sauce add the heavy cream to a sauce pan and heat over medium low heat, whisk in the flour and add the rest of the ingredients in the order they are written. Continue cooking and stirring frequently until sauce is thickened and cheese is melted. Pour cheese sauce over pasta stir to coat. Add chicken and ham.  Mix into pasta.

Grease a 9 x 12 casserole dish and pour pasta mixture into dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top and bake for 25-35 minutes.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

This post is shared at:
Melt in Your Mouth Monday Recipe Blog Hop @ Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms
Recipe Sharing Monday @ Jam Hands
Making the World Cuter Monday @ Making the World Cuter
Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping it Simple

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

I'm still really behind on my postings.  If you can believe it, I made this recipe back in January!  It's been a really long time since I used the slow cooker.  Since I've become a stay-at-home mom it's not so much of a necessity anymore as much as a convenience.  I actually ended up making this recipe on a Sunday when I knew we were going to be busy but wanted us to be able to eat dinner at home.  I've had this recipe saved for so long but had never made it because I knew the kids would never eat it.  I was really craving something buffalo chicken flavored though and decided to go for it.  I cooked up some leftover lasagna noodles for the kids and served them with butter and cheese.  My husband and I were both glad that I finally made this.  It was really easy to put together and tasted really good!  There's definitely a kick from the buffalo wing sauce!  With the tang from the blue cheese this lasagna was really flavorful!    

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
recipe from Stephanie O'Dea's A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
uncooked traditional lasagna noodles
4 already cooked chicken breast halves
jar of prepared pasta sauce
1 cup buffalo wing sauce
15 oz. tub of ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella and cheddar blend)
1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles
1/4 cup of water (add at very end)

Directions:
In a large glass bowl, combine cooked and chopped chicken breast, the pasta sauce, and 1 cup of buffalo wing sauce.

Ladle a big spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of a 5 qt crockpot. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles, breaking as needed to get a proper fit.

Add a smear of ricotta cheese to the top of the noodles. Sprinkle on a handful of shredded cheese.

Repeat layers until you run out of ingredients.

Add the bleu cheese crumbles, if desired. Put the 1/4 cup of water into your empty pasta sauce jar and shake. Pour the liquid over the top of the entire lasagna.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. When cooking time is complete, unplug and take off the lid of the crock. Let it sit for 20 minutes before cutting into.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 2 thumbs up.

This post is shared at:
Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green
Totally Tasty Tuesdays @ Mandy's Recipe Box
Back for Seconds Social @ Back for Seconds
Work it Wednesdays @ High Heels & Grills

CPK BBQ Chicken Pizza

This recipe post is a bit belated, as our Supper Club is meeting tonight and this was one of last month's dishes that we made!  But I'm very behind in my recipe posting!  Last month's Supper Club theme was Restaurant Copy-Cats.  My husband and I were hosting so we were in charge of the main dishes.  As we were trying to come up with dishes to make, we realized that we don't visit chain restaurants enough to have favorite dishes to re-create.  Which of course is a good thing!  We did agree that we love CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) and the rare times we go there we split a pizza and a salad.  Our favorite pizza is the Thai Chicken Pizza, but different versions of Thai Chicken Pizza have already been made in the Supper Club (including one by myself!).  Although we've never actually had the BBQ Chicken Pizza at CPK this is the pizza recipe that we went with.  Everyone enjoyed this pizza.  My husband made the dough and doubled the recipe so we were fortunate to have leftovers for a couple of days!  Unfortunately, I never got a picture of the Outback Chopped Salad that we made as our other dish and there was none left over after our dinner (which again, is a good thing!).

CPK BBQ Chicken Pizza
Recipe slightly adapted from cdkitchen.com

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
10 ounces chicken breast, boned and skinned
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce plus 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
1 cup Gouda cheese, shredded
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 small red onion, sliced into rings
2 tablespoons cilantro

Directions:
To make the dough: In a small bowl, dissolve the honey in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir until it dissolves. Let the yeast mixture stand for 5 minutes, until a layer of foam forms on the surface. In a large bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the olive oil and the yeast mixture. Stir the flour into the wet ingredients, until all the flour is incorporated. If its too dry, add more water. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 15 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball and put in in a well-oiled bowl. Cover with a moist towel and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours).

One hour before baking the pizzas, start preheating the oven with pizza stones inside at 500 degrees F.

For the Chicken: In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add chicken pieces. Saute until cooked (6 minutes). Chill. Coat chicken with 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce. Set aside in the refrigerator.

For the Pizza: Punch the dough down, and divide into equal serving portions. Roll out each portion into an 6-8 inch flat circle. Spread 1/4 cup barbecue sauce over the surface of the dough. Distribute 1/2 of the cheese over the sauce. Distribute 1/2 of the chicken over the cheese. Place half of the onion rings over the chicken pieces. Place the pizza in the oven (on top of pizza stones). Bake until crust is crispy and cheese is bubbling (8-10 minutes). Remove pizzas from the oven and sprinkle each with 1/2 of the cilantro.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

The Weekend Chef: Chicken with Mushrooms

This was a recipe that I had planned on making during the week.  My husband ended up being home though and ended up cooking dinner.  I love mushrooms.  Unfortunately, my kids don't.  This was a great dish for us because the kids could easily pick out the mushrooms (after they had their required one bite!). The kids love breaded chicken cutlets, which this basically was, kicked up a little notch with some melted cheese and mushrooms.  Simple and tasty for a quick and easy weeknight meal!

Chicken with Mushrooms
recipe from allrecipes.com, courtesy of KIMPAT

Ingredients:
3 cups sliced mushrooms
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup chicken broth

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.Place half of the mushrooms in a 9x13 inch pan. Dip chicken into beaten eggs, then roll in bread crumbs.

3.In skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Brown both sides of chicken in skillet. Place chicken on top of mushrooms, arrange remaining mushrooms on chicken, and top with mozzarella cheese. Add chicken broth to pan.

4.Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up. 

Might Have Missed Monday: Sweet Potato Chicken Curry

Here's another recipe that you "Might Have Missed."  This is a recipe that my husband, The Weekend Chef, made last November.  From my original post, I remember that I did not read this recipe in its entirety before I had my husband start making this at 6:30 at night.  It takes some time and is not a weeknight meal.  However, it's hearty and tasty! It does have a little "kick" to it and because he started it so late, the kids did not eat this, but we really enjoyed it!

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry
recipe from Cooking Light, November 2009

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
3/4 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Diretions:
1. Combine curry powder, coriander, turmeric, salt, black pepper, red pepper, and bay leaf in a small bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high; return chicken to pan. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add curry powder mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Stir in potato and chickpeas. Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes. Add peas; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Discard bay leaf.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 2 thumbs up!

This post is being shared at:
Manic Monday @ Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling
The Bulletin Board @ Mrs. Happy Homemaker
Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green
Totally Tasty Tuesdays @ Mandy's Recipe Box
Show Me What You Got @ Our Delightful Home

The Weekend Chef: Panko Chicken with Grapefruit Honey Sauce

It's become more the norm now that I will plan the menu for the week but when the weekend comes around my husband, a.k.a. "The Weekend Chef" will do the cooking.  It was getting too difficult waiting for him to pick his recipes and then make the grocery list.  I like to menu plan for the week and get all of the shopping done on Monday, minus a quick trip later in the week for the extra produce needed later on.  So, here's another recipe that I found but my husband cooked.  This is basically a chicken cutlet breaded in panko and fried and then drizzled with a grapefruit honey sauce.  The sauce was really different and tasty - tangy and sweet at the same time.  The kids LOVED this, sauce too! The Weekend Chef said it was quick and easy to make.  Since the kids loved it so much I would definitely make this again!

Panko Chicken with Grapefruit Honey Sauce
recipe from Creative Kitchen Adventures via Art From My Table

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, sliced in half to make thinner
Panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs beaten
Olive oil for pan
sea salt
pepper

FOR SAUCE:
1/2 cup grapefruit juice (2 grapefruits juiced)
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp honey (I’ll add a little more next time)
sea salt
pepper

Directions:
1.Rinse and slice chicken in half to make thinner chicken cutlets. Beat eggs in dish and have ready for dipping. Pour a cup or so of panko breadcrumbs into another container for dipping.

2.Using a mallet, pound to flatten chicken.

3.Preheat cast iron or other skillet with about a tablespoon of oil.

4.Dip each chicken cutlet into egg coating thoroughly, and then dip in panko. After you have 4 cutlets done, place into pan at the same time. Pan heated to medium (btwn 6-7 on electric stove).

5.Cook about 3 minutes on each side being careful not to burn, lowering heat as needed.Season with salt and pepper. Dip and cook remaining 4 cutlets. Chicken should be cooked through, but if a little nervous like I was, I placed them in my convection toaster oven for another 5 minutes at 350 degrees.

6.After all chicken is cooked, wipe out pan to use or grab a new skillet. Heat a small amount of olive oil. Soften minced garlic on low being careful not to burn. Burning garlic will make it taste bitter.

7.Add in grapefruit juice, honey, sea salt and pepper, and whisk thoroughly. Heat on medium to medium low stirring fairly often and reduce to a thick syrup.

8.Serve chicken breast with grapefruit honey sauce drizzled on top or use as a dipping sauce.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

The Weekend Chef: BBQ Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

This is a recipe that I had planned on making and had my husband, a.k.a., "The Weekend Chef" make us for dinner last weekend.  We haven't had a quesadilla in awhile, especially since our quesadilla maker broke.  There wasn't a lot of cooking to this recipe, but more of a lot of prep work.  The kids love pineapple.  Mixed with the chicken and bbq sauce this ended up being a sweet and tasty quesadilla.  We all enjoyed it a lot!  And really, all the quesadilla maker does is cut the tortilla and semi-seal the filling into little triangle pieces. 

BBQ Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas
recipe from Kate's Recipe Box via Jenny's Cooking Journey

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup diced pineapple
1cup jalapeno jack cheese, shredded
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
8 large tortillas

Directions:
In a small frying pan, brown the chicken pieces over medium heat. When cooked through, add in barbecue sauce and stir to coat. Remove chicken to a small bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add pineapple to pan and cook until warmed through. Remove to a small bowl.

On a skillet, place a tortilla. Cover with a layer of the cheeses and top with chicken and pineapple. When the cheese starts to melt, place second tortilla on top. When browned on the bottom, flip over.

Remove to a cutting board and let cool for 3 minutes before cutting.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

This recipe is shared at:
Church Supper @ Everyday Mom's Meals
Sundae Scoop @ I Heart Nap Time

Chicken & Ravioli Carbonara

I saw this recipe and had to try it.  It would give me an excuse to eat bacon, which I haven't had in forever! I liked that it didn't have a bunch of ingredients.  The only change that I made was cooking the chicken in a honey balsamic dressing instead of Italian dressing.  I thought I had some and I wasn't going back out to the store for 2 Tablespoons of it!  It really didn't have a big impact on the flavor.  I have to say that this ended up being really soupy.  I used a slotted spoon to take the ravioli out to serve and it was good.  But I ended up packing the extra ravioli away in the sauce and they just got all mushy the next day.  We all liked this and my son even had seconds....my kids do LOVE bacon!  This was a nice change from ravioli and red sauce. 

Chicken & Ravioli Carbonara
recipe from Mandy's Recipe Box

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Honey Balsamic dressing
1 lb. chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 lb 9oz. package cheese ravioli
1 c. half and half
12-16 oz. package of bacon, cooked and crumbled
shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat the dressing in a large skillet. Cook the chicken in it til done. Add broth and thawed ravioli. Heat to a boil. Reduce to medium and cook uncovered 4 minutes or till ravioli is tender. Stir in half and half. Reduce to low and simmer 3-5 minutes or until sauce is at desired consistency. Sprinkle in the bacon, but save some for topping later. Stir all together. Serve up and top with more bacon and parmesan cheese.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Orange Chicken for Dummies

This recipe has less than five ingredients AND is made in the slow cooker.  This was definitely on my to try list.  I have found and tried a lot of recipes from Mandy's Recipe Box and almost all of them have been really tasty!  So when I saw this one I decided to make it on one of our busy Monday weeknights.  My son, who is a really picky eater, ate all of his chicken.  Unfortunately, this was one of those recipes that I thought was just okay.  The catalina dressing was really strong and I think a bit too sweet. Unfortunately, as quick and easy as this was to make, I won't be making this dish again. 

Orange Chicken for Dummies
recipe from Mandy's Recipe Box

Ingredients:
1 envelope (1 oz.) onion soup mix
1 c. apricot preserves
1c. Catalina salad dressing
2-3 lbs Chicken tenders

Directions:
Place all in a slow cooker and stir to coat the chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.

You can also put it in a 9x13 baking dish and bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Family Rating: So-so.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu

Thanks so much Linda! This recipe was featured at: I first saw this recipe and wasn't sure how good chicken cordon bleu can come out in the slow cooker. I'm really glad that I tried this.  This was super easy to put together and tasted surprisingly good!  My daughter enjoyed this more than my son (even with the swiss cheese!) but my son even ate a couple of bites of chicken and all of the ham.  I would definitely make this again for a quick weeknight dinner.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu
recipe from Crock-Pot Ladies

Ingredients:
4-6 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 (10.75 Oz.) Can Cream Of Chicken Soup
1 Cup Milk
4 Oz. Sliced Ham 
4 Oz. Sliced Swiss Cheese
1 6 Oz. Box Herb Or Chicken Flavored Stuffing
1/4 Cup Butter, Melted
1/4 Cup Water

Directions:
In a bowl whisk together the cream of chicken soup and milk until combined.

Pour half of the soup & milk mixture in the bottom of a 6-7 quart oval crock-pot.

Arrange chicken breasts on top of the soup mixture.

Lay slices of ham and then slices of Swiss cheese over the top of the chicken breasts.

Pour remaining soup & milk mixture over everything.

Cover top of chicken, ham & Swiss cheese with the dry stuffing mix.

Pour melted butter and water over the top of the dry stuffing mix.

Cover crock-pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for for 2-3 hours.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up!

The Weekend Chef: Dutch Oven Chicken

My in-laws were coming over for lunch a couple of weekends ago and I put my husband in charge of cooking.  He loves using his Dutch Oven and was excited to cook something in it for his parents, since they are the ones who bought it for us last Christmas.  He found this recipe, but instead of using a whole chicken, cut up, like the original recipe called for, we decided to use thighs.  Less prep work for the chef!  The ingredient list had me skeptical....canned mushroom soup mix and beer??!!  However, this dish came out really flavorful.  As always, when we use the Dutch Oven, the chicken was falling off the bone tender.  The kids ate this, which is always a plus!  It was a perfect chilly, autumn day weekend dish.

Dutch Oven Chicken
recipe slightly adapted from food.com courtesy of panner50

Ingredients:
3 lbs. chicken thighs, skin on
3 -4 medium potatoes, cubed
1 large onion, quartered
3 -4 carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
flour (for dredging)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can beer
salt and pepper
1/4 cup oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Dredge chicken in seasoned flour and brown in dutch oven or heavy pot.

After chicken is brown add veggies, garlic, and 1/2 the beer.

Cover and place in oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes add the soup and the rest of the beer, cook another 30 minutes or until everything is done.  

Famly Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Chicken with Honey-Beer Sauce

Each week I sit and spend too much time planning the weekly dinner menu.  Between my bookmarked favorites from food blogs, cookbooks, and recipes torn out of magazines it can be quite overwhelming!   I try to have one meatless meal, one pasta dish, one chicken dish, etc.  Sometimes, I add in breakfast for dinner and sometimes when I'm really lazy it's leftovers.  Chicken is a weekly staple, mainly because it's cheap and versatile.  I especially like quick chicken dinners and this one fits the bill.  The kids really enjoyed the combination of the honey and the mustard.   And this dish was super quick and easy to make. 

Chicken with Honey-Beer Sauce
recipe from Cooking Light, September 2012

Ingredients:
2 tsps. canola oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots
1/2 cup beer
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions:
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with pepper and salt. Add chicken to pan; sauté 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add shallots to pan; cook 1 minute or until translucent. Combine beer and next 3 ingredients (through honey) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add beer mixture to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Return chicken to pan; turn to coat with sauce. Sprinkle evenly with parsley.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Chicken and Apple Curry

We normally take an annual trip to our local apple orchard and go apple and pumpkin picking with the kids.  This year though my son's preschool is going pumpkin picking and my daughter is going apple and pumpkin picking with her class.  After spending all of the money on their trips we didn't think it was necessary for us to take another trip as a family.  However, that isn't stopping me from trying all of the apple recipes that I've been saving and waiting to try. This recipe I found in all*you magazine.  Not only was it featured in "Dinner Under $10" but it didn't have a gazillion ingredients.  Unfortunately, after it was made none of us really enjoyed it.  The kids ate all of the apple pieces.  For me though, it was definitely lacking in flavor.  There are lots of easy curry recipes out there, this just wasn't a favorite.

Chicken and Apple Curry
recipe from all*you, May 2012, recipe courtesy of Cheryl Dorsey

Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
juice and zest of 1 lime
1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
2 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 cups shredded skinless rotisserie chicken, dark and white meat
1 sweet apple, like Gala or Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and chopped
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Boil 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan.  Stir in rice, return to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low; simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.

2.  Whisk lime juice, coconut milk and curry together in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low; simmer 3 minutes.  In a small bowl, stir cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. of water until smooth, then whisk into a skillet. Continue whisking for 2 minutes.  Mix in chicken and apple; season with salt and pepper.  Cook stirring occasionally, until apple is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

3.  Divide rice among 4 plates and spoon chicken on top.  Sprinkle with zest.

Family Rating: So-so.

Braised Chicken with Kale

Being a stay-at-home mom allows me to use the dutch oven during the week.  I rarely use it though because our after school schedule is crazy and using the dutch oven often requires hours of supervised cooking time that I don't usually have.  However, a few days ago we had a relaxing Friday afternoon, so I made this dish.  This is a real low-cost meal.  Chicken quarters are so cheap!  Braising makes the chicken really tender and it easily comes off the bone.  I haven't really cooked or eaten kale a lot so this gave me another opportunity to try it out.  Unfortunately, none of us were big fans of this dish.  I liked the sauce that the kale was in, but the chicken didn't end up with a lot of flavor.  Overall, this was only a so-so dish for us.

Braised Chicken with Kale
recipe from Cooking Light, November 2011

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
4 chicken leg quarters, skinned
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1.1 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup)
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (16-ounce) package cut prewashed kale
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14.5-ounce) can fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons canola oil. Sprinkle the chicken with black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place flour in a dish, and dredge chicken. Place 2 leg quarters in pan, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with 2 teaspoons oil and remaining 2 leg quarters. Remove from pan.

3. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add garlic; cook for 20 seconds. Add half of kale; cook for 2 minutes. Add remaining half of kale; cook 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan. Cover and bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; stir in vinegar. Serve chicken over kale mixture.

Family Rating: So-so.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I like Mexican food.  But I'm more a fan of the stuffed, fried variety, like taquitos and chimichangas!  I also like tacos and quesadillas and can make a meal out of just the complimentary tortilla chips and fresh salsa that is put on the table. I'm not a very big enchilada eater, which is too bad for my husband, since he always seems to order them when we go out for Mexican.  I'm obviously not making them enough at home.  I just don't like the tortilla smothered in sauce.  This recipe caught my eye because of the words honey and lime.  Not words you normally associate with Mexican.  These took a little time to make, especially because the chicken needs to marinate in the sauce for at least 30 minutes.  Believe me, it is well worth it!  The sauce adds so much flavor! And there wasn't a lot of leftover sauce to mix with the sour cream, so these enchiladas weren't especially saucy, which was fine with me!  These were really flavorful (and I didn't even use all of the enchilada sauce, which I found to be a bit spicy!).  Even my brother, who was over for dinner, and who doesn't usually eat Mexican enjoyed these.  My daughter ate hers all up, while my son, as usual gave me a hard time about eating his.  But these were really tasty I had to give them a 2 thumbs up, even without his vote!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
recipe from Cassie Craves

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let the mixture marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

3. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, roll them up and place in bottom of pan, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.

4. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the sour cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of rolled enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

Skillet BBQ Chicken Pasta

This recipe originally caught my eye when it was described as a one pot meal, including the cooking of the pasta.  You are supposed to cook the chicken first in the skillet and then once the chicken is done, take it out and cook the pasta.  I had never cooked pasta in a skillet before (and probably won't again....there was a lot of liquid and I almost had a flood on my stove!).  Next time I'd just cook the pasta separately and then mix with the chicken and other ingredients after.  If you like BBQ sauce then you'll probably enjoy this dish.  It was tasty and different from other pasta dishes I've made in the past.  My son of course wasn't a big fan but my daughter enjoyed this.  As for my husband, well he likes almost everything I make!  From the picture you can see that I didn't garnish with scallions (or any garnish for that matter!).  The kids don't like them and it's just one less thing that they have to pick out!

Skillet BBQ Chicken Pasta
recipe from A Taste of Home Cooking

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
1 red onion, diced
3 cups water
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces penne pasta
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken and onions to a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the water, chicken broth, penne and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the liquid is almost absorbed, the pasta is tender and the mixture is thick and syrupy. Stir in the barbecue sauce and sour cream. Once mixed, add in the reserved chicken, onions and shredded cheeses. Stir to combine and cook until everything is heated through.

Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with additional red or green onions and more shredded cheese.

Family Rating: 11/2 thumbs up.

Slow Cooker Garlic Ranch Chicken

I'm always on the lookout for new slow cooker recipes.  The slow cooker is a kitchen staple for a busy mom!  Honestly, most of the slow cooker recipes that I've made in the past haven't been that great.  I know that my slow cooker tends to cook things faster than the designated cooking time.  Now that I'm home and can easily check on the doneness of dishes I'm hoping to have less overcooked meals!  This recipe has only 5 ingredients.  Throw it in the slow cooker and let it do its thing.  I ended up cooking some egg noodles, shredding the chicken once it was cooked, and mixing it all together in the sauce as seen below.  I ended up serving it with some steamed veggies.  Easy....definitely.  Taste-wise it was okay.  I won't be making this again....but then again I don't make many recipes twice.  The kids enjoyed it, although my son, like usual, ate more noodles than chicken. 

Slow Cooker Garlic Ranch Chicken
recipe from Cookin' Mimi

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup low sodium and/or low fat
3 cloves, garlic peeled, and lightly smashed
1 packet (approximately 2 Tablespoons) ranch dressing mix
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1.Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.

2.In a small bowl mix together the cream of chicken soup, garlic cloves, ranch dressing mix, and black pepper.

3.Pour over chicken breasts.

4.Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-4 or until chicken is tender and has reached 165 degrees.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.