Chicken Cordon Bleu Wraps

We've been eating a lot of salads, sandwiches, and wraps at our house lately. This particular wrap has become one of our favorites. I found it on http://realmomkitchen.com a while back and we have had it several times. I typically use the uncooked tortillas from Costco rather then buying actual wraps. 

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 lb. sliced roasted chicken, from the deli

1/2 lb. black forest ham, from the deli

4 wedges of creamy swiss cheese (we have been using whipped cream cheese)

4 Tbsp. mayo

2 Tbsp. honey Dijon mustard

spinach or spring mix lettuce

4 tortillas/wraps

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix mayo and mustard together and set aside.

2. With each tortilla, spread cheese over entire tortilla. Next place a couple of slices of chicken, followed by a couple pieces of ham. 

3. Spread about 1 Tbsp. of mayo/mustard mixture evenly over the ham. Place a few pieces of lettuce on top and roll the tortilla into a log. Slice and serve.

Whole Wheat Bruschetta Pasta

Ugh! It's getting darker way too early now! Sorry for the horrible shadow...AGAIN! This pasta is definitely one for the adults, not kids. My kids just wanted to know where the meatballs were. You can make this as is or you can also add some grilled chicken in with it  for a more filling meal. It tastes great either way.

Ingredients:

1 lb. wheat spaghetti, prepared (reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid)

3-4 large tomatoes, diced

1 cup fresh packed basil, finely chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup diced red onion

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. Red Wine vinegar

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

grilled chicken (optional)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and toss to coat.

Oriental Chicken Salad

Sorry for the awful shadow on the picture. It's becoming a bigger and bigger problem as we are getting closer to fall. I found this recipe over at My Kitchen Cafe, a fabulous site if you've never been there before. I thought this tasted very similar to the Oriental Chicken Salad at Paradise Bakery, which is one of my favs! This dinner is super simple to throw together for a last minute meal. Don't let the ramen noodles scare you, they actually taste really good!

Ingredients:

1 package (3 ounces) oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix 
½ cup pre-sliced almonds
 red wine vinaigrette ( simple recipe below)
1/2 package (16 ounces) coleslaw mix or broccoli slaw mix (I used the coleslaw)
1 package romaine lettuce (I used hearts of romaine, finely chopped)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 scallions, both white and light green parts, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Break up the ramen noodles with your hands and place them and the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the noodles and almonds turn light brown, 6 to 7 minutes.

Place the slaw mix (I only use 1/2 bag), romaine lettuce, chicken, and scallions in a large serving bowl.

Toss to combine the ingredients well. Just before serving, pour the salad dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Scatter the toasted almonds and noodles on top and serve.

Serves 4 to 6 as a main course

Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette

Whisk together:
¾ cup vegetable oil
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon black pepper
Ramen noodles seasoning packet

Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts

This another Sister's Cafe recipe! Can you tell I recently went through their archives? They have lots of wonderful recipes, so you should check them out. This marinade can be used on chicken, fish, or beef. I marinated these chicken breasts for 8 hours and they were loaded with flavor. It is a little on the saltier side as far as flavor, but my kids and I love salt so we loved this! Super simple meal and great for not heating up the house.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oil (I used vegetable)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons mustard ( I used dijon)
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic (I used one small clove)

Directions:

Mix well. Pour over meat, then let marinate for 6-8 hours in the fridge.

Southwestern Chicken Nachos

I found this recipe on the Sister's Cafe and switched it up a little. The original recipe has you cook the chicken in Pace Picante sauce, but I chose to use homemade salsa. The toppings you could add on this are endless. I think next time I'll add black olives and green onion too. Super simple and great for a busy day meal.

Ingredients:

1 small bag frozen corn
1 can black beans
2 large frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 16-oz jar medium salsa, such as Pace medium picante sauce (I used homemade salsa, recipe here)
shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
sour cream
chopped cilantro
diced avocado

(I also added lettuce and salsa, but I would recommend black olives and green onions too.)

Directions:
Pour bag of frozen corn in bottom of crockpot. Place frozen chicken breasts on top of corn and cover with rinsed and drained black beans and jar of medium salsa. Cook on high for 1 hour, and then on low for 4 hours. Shred chicken with forks. Serve with tortilla chips and add toppings to individual servings.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

We love buffalo chicken at our house, so when I ran across this recipes at allrecipes.com, I knew it was a must try. It's was a great busy day meal because it cooks in the crock pot. It was definitely too spicy for the kiddos but my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts

1 bottle of Frank's Red Hot BUFFALO Wing Sauce

1-2 Tbsp. dry Hidden Valley Ranch mix

2 Tbsp. butter

6 hoagie rolls

Directions:

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker, and pour 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix over top. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, then shred the meat with two forks. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls and add a splash of remaining sauce if desired.

*I topped ours with lettuce, tomato, mozzarella cheese and drizzled ranch dressing over each one. Yummo!

Southwestern Rice Bowls

I found a recipe on favfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com for Southwestern Rice Bowls and I made my own variation of them. These were super good! Everyone in the family enjoyed them. I will definitely be making these again.

Ingredients:
Spanish Rice, prepared (click here for my recipe)
2 chicken breasts, cooked (cook in taco seasoning and chicken broth for about 4 hours in the crock pot, then dice or shred)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
shredded lettuce
shredded cheddar cheese
sliced black olives
tortilla chips, crumbled

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 Tbsp. Hidden Valley Ranch mix
(mix above ingredients and chill)
Just prior to serving, add 1/3 cup homemade salsa (click here for my recipe) and mix till combined.

Directions:
1. Heat corn and black beans.
2. Layer the following in 3-4 bowls:
Spanish rice
black beans
corn
chicken
cheese
lettuce
olives
drizzle dressing over top and garnish with crushed tortilla chips, enjoy!

BBQ Chicken n' Cheddar Sandwiches

So I found this recipe over at the Recipe Shoebox, if you haven't visited this blog- check it out, Lara has lots of yummy recipes! This one was no exception, the entire family enjoyed these. They were very filling and very easy to make. You may want to leave the chipotle pepper out if you have little ones, they will still taste great!

Ingredients:

4 strips bacon, halved crosswise
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 lbs)
salt and pepper
1 cup favorite BBQ sauce
1/2 chipotle pepper, minced (optional)
1/4 cup water
4 large onion rolls, split (we used onion hamburger buns)
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Fry bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.  Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Cook chicken in bacon fat until browned on one side, about 4 minutes.  Flip chicken and add barbecue sauce, chipotle pepper (if desired), and water.  Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes.  Remove chicken from skillet and slice into bite size pieces.  Arrange onion rolls cut side up on baking sheet.  Divide chicken among bottom haves of rolls and top with sauce, cheese, and bacon.  Bake open-faced sandwiches in oven until cheese melts and rolls are golden brown, about 4 minutes.  Top each sandwich with toasted roll top.  Serve immediately with a fruit smoothie on the side.  Makes 4 sandwiches.  Enjoy!  

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

I know this totally doesn't look appetizing but it's one of those comfort foods that tastes great and looks awful. I found the recipe at Baking Like Betty (and I think she found it at Sisters Cafe), but either way it was great and my family enjoyed it. I made two, froze one, and am happy to report they were both equally great. Sometimes things aren't as great after being frozen but this one was. Try it and see what you think.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs reduced sodium Stuffing mix ( I didn't use reduced sodium)

1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup

1 C milk

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 lb sliced deli ham, cut into 1" strips

8 Swiss cheese slices, or 1 C shredded

2 C cheddar cheese, shredded 

2 C cooked chicken, ( I used canned chicken from Costco, and pulled apart the chunks)

Directions:

Prepare stuffing mixes according to directions on box. Meanwhile in a bowl, combine soup and milk. Put chicken in a greased 9x13 or 2 8x8's (that's what I did for two small family batches). Sprinkle chicken with pepper. Layer ham, swiss, cheddar, soup mixture, and finally top with stuffing as final layer. At this point you can freeze or bake for 45 minutes at 350. If frozen, thaw in fridge overnight. Remove from fridge about 30 minutes before baking. Cover with foil and bake 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer. If using 8x8 cut baking time to about 30 minutes covered, 5-10 uncovered.

BBQ Chicken Spaghetti

So anyone who reads this blog on a some-what regular basis will know that I love ranch and cilantro. Well Picky Palate has done it again! She has created yet another fabulous meal using my favorite ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 lb. angel hair

4 Tbsp. olive oil (I know I am bad, but I used butter!)

1/2 large red onion, diced

2 Tbsp. + ranch dressing mix

3/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

shredded bbq chicken (I put 3 chicken breasts in the crock pot topped with KC Masterpiece for 4-5 hours on low)

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to package. Drain and run under cold water.

2. Place olive oil (or butter :) in large pot over medium heat and saute the diced red onion. Add cooked noodles, ranch, and cilantro. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

3. Place noodle mixture on serving plates and top with shredded bbq chicken.

Chicken Spaghetti

So if you haven't had the chance to buy the Pioneer Woman's cookbook yet, I highly recommend it. She has tried and true, no fail recipes, there are always a crowd pleaser. I think she's one of my favorites now. This was a great alternative to traditional spaghetti and we enjoyed it.

Ingredients:

1 cut-up fryer chicken (I used chicken breasts)

1 lb. thin spaghetti

4oz. jar diced pimentos, drained

1 small onion, diced

1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 tsp. seasoned salt

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Add chicken to stock pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked, about 25 minutes.

2. Remove chicken from water and set aside to cool.

3. Remove 2 cups of broth from the pot and set aside.

4. Bring remaining broth back to a boil and add spaghetti. Cook til al dente.

5. Drain spaghetti and discard liquid.

6. Shred chicken using 2 forks.

7. Place the cooked spaghetti in a large bowl. Add the cream of mushroom soup, 2 cups cheese, onion, green pepper, and pimentos. Add seasoned salt and peppers.

8. Add the chicken and reserved broth.

9. Stir together well and taste to check seasonings.

10. Pour mixture into a large baking dish, top with remaining cheese, and bake for 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

My sister made this for our Christmas Eve party and it was a huge hit! It wasn't the easiest to photograph, so don't judge it by my poor camera skills. I think everyone at the party asked for the recipe. It's super easy to make and a definite crowd pleaser! Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. I'm thinking...Super Bowl Party!

Serving Size: 15-20 people

Ingredients:

5-6 Cooked Shredded Chicken Breasts

12 oz Frank's Red Hot Wing's Sauce (buffalo flavor)

16 oz Cream Cheese

16 oz Ranch Dressing

1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Cook chicken and shred. (I put mine in a large corning ware dish with some olive oil and cook covered for 1 hour at 350 degrees). Put chicken, hot wing sauce, cream cheese, and ranch dressing in crock pot. Turn heat on low and stir occasionally until everything has melted. When you are ready to serve, top with shredded cheese. Serve with your favorite kind of tortilla chips, celery and carrots.

Thanks Megan!

Panda Express Orange Chicken

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Costco? I couldn't live without Costco. They recently started carrying Panda Express Orange Sauce....sooo good! It really tastes exactly the same. This is my favorite entree at Panda Express so it was a no-brainer that I would buy it and give it a try. I've tried a couple other orange chicken recipes before and have not been impressed. This sauce is worth buying. I used the same recipe for the chicken as I do with my Sweet & Sour Chicken, which by the way is a must try too, and it turned out awesome! Give it a try!

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
salt & pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 bottle Panda Express Orange Sauce, from Costco

Directions:
1. Season chicken with salt & pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch, then in egg.
2. Fry battered chicken in hot canola oil over medium heat just until browned (not cooked through).
3. Place browned chicken in a single layer in a 9x13 baking dish.

4. Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 325 degrees for one hour, turning chicken every 15 minutes. Serve over rice....mmmm!

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Happy November! Can you believe Christmas is in 53 days?! This year is going to be over before I know it. Blogging will officially slow down for me now as I get the keys to my new house in 2 days. I will be busy painting and cleaning and boxing and moving but I'm anxious to get back and show pictures of what I will have been up to. This was a super easy, throw it together pizza. I know I am going to shock some of you, but I bought a pre-made pizza crust, yes I know, there's a first time for everything right? Life is so hectic that I have to keep my meals simple right now. It turned out good, however, I am thinking of cooking the chicken in the barbecue sauce and using ranch for the sauce next time?... Gosh I love that stuff.

Ingredients:

1 12" pre-baked pizza crust, or whatever pizza crust you prefer

1 cup your favorite barbecue sauce

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet and spread barbecue sauce over top. Add a thin layer of cheese, then top with chicken and onion, add a little more cheese, top that with cilantro and finish it off with remaining cheese.

3. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

*serve with a side of ranch for dipping sauce

Chicken and Broccoli Pie

This was my first time making a pot pie with a Bisquick crust, apparently they're pretty common, I never knew. It turned out really good though. I liked the way it seeped into the pie. I've always made my pies with a top and bottom pie crust, which is really good too. This Bisquick version is just so much quicker , love it!

Ingredients:
10 oz. frozen chopped broccoli
2 cups shredded cheese
1 1/2 cup cooked, chopped chicken
2/3 cups chopped onion

Mix above ingredients together and place in a greased deep-dish pie pan.

In a blender mix:
1 1/3 cup milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup Bisquick
3/4 tsp. each, salt and pepper

Blend together. Pour over ingredients in pie pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 25- 35 minutes. (Toothpick should come out clean) Cool in pan for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Skillet Chicken Pitas

Believe it or not this is my first time making pitas! It never really crossed my mind to make them until I saw this yummy recipe in a magazine a while ago. My husband really enjoyed them and asked why I don't make them more often. I guess I will now! Perfect summer meal that can be made ahead of time.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup cilantro
1/4 cup Asian sweet chili sauce (I got mine at Sprout's)
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" strips/chunks
1 large red bell pepper, sliced into bite size strips

2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. lime juice

8 pita rounds
8 leaves of lettuce

Directions:
1. In a ziploc bag combine 1/3 cup cilantro, chili sauce, 2 Tbsp. lime juice, garlic, oil, and salt. Add Chicken, seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken mixture and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add red pepper and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink. Transfer chicken to a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate 1-8 hours.
3. For dressing, combine mayo, 1/2 cup cilantro, and 2 Tbsp. lime juice.

To serve, top each pita with a leaf of lettuce, spoon chicken mixture over half, and drizzle with dressing.

Slow Cooker Baked Chicken

Wow, talk about fall of the bone, tender chicken! My kids absolutely loved this. They each had three servings, yes three! It was such a simple fix it and forget about it meal. Just what I needed! You can also try stuffing the chicken with veggies or dressing. I'm going to next time, that way it is a one pot meal.

Ingredients:
1 2-3lb. whole chicken (just make sure it will fit in your slow cooker)
salt & pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 cup chicken broth
butter

Directions:
1. Wad three pieces of foil into 3" balls. Place them in the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Rinse chicken, inside and out, under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub chicken with butter and season to your liking, try to season under the skin as well.
3. Place chicken on top of foil balls in slow cooker. Pour chicken broth into the bottom of slow cooker.
4. Set slow cooker to high heat for 1 hour, then turn down to low heat for 8-10 hours.

*recipe found on allrecipes.com

Chicken and White Cream Pasta

I found this recipe the other day on a blog called Dinner's Ready. I knew right away it was one my family would like. So onto the menu it went and the family loved it. The only changes I made were seasoning my chicken with Johnny's Garlic Seasoning before cooking it and then adding the seasoning again to the final dish. Yum!

Ingredients:

2 c uncooked penne pasta

2 c sliced fresh mushrooms

1 c sliced green onions

2 Tbs butter

½ c chicken broth

1 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbs flour

1/3 c water

1 c heavy whipping cream

2 c chicken, cooked and cubed

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Shredded Parmesan cheese (not grated)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onions in butter for 4-5 min or until tender. Add broth and garlic. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 min. Combine flour and water until smooth; gradually add to mushroom mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir until thickened. Stir in cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 4-5 min. Add the cooked pasta, chicken, salt and pepper to cream sauce. Cook for 3-4 min or until heated through. Sprinkle with lots of shredded Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Chicken N' Wild Rice Casserole

This is one of those impossible to photograph, good ole' comfort food meals. My kids especially like this one. I love the crunch that the water chestnuts add. It makes a lot but never has a problem getting eaten in our house.

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken, cooked & cubed

1 8oz. can water chestnuts

1 cup diced onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup mayo

1 10.75oz. can cream of mushroom

12oz. wild riced, prepared

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Pour mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish or 9x13 pan. Cook for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees, or until warmed through.

*adapted from a church activity recipe

Crispy Southwest Chicken Won tons

These were sooo good! All my favorite flavors mixed together and fried, how could I have gone wrong?! Serve a little ranch on the side for dipping and you have a delicious meal. Even the kids liked them.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
½ Cup finely diced white onions
½ Cup finely diced red bell pepper
2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced (I used 1)
1 12 oz can chunk chicken, drained (from Costco)
¼ Cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
¼ Cup Verde Salsa (I use Herdez brand)
2 Tablespoons prepared ranch dressing
½ package won ton wrappers (found in the produce section of the grocery store)

Directions:
1. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic for 1 minute and remove from heat.
2. In large bowl add onion mixture, chicken, cilantro, salsa, ranch, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.
3. Place 1 Tablespoon chicken mixture in center of won ton wrapper. Brush bottom edge with egg white wash, fold over filling and press edges together firmly, forming a triangle shape.
4. 2 options of cooking. 1st is place about 1 inch of canola or vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. When hot, place 4 won tons at a time into oil. Cook 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown. 2nd option is place won tons on a baking sheet; bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until crispy, flipping once half way through cooking.
5. Serve with Ranch dressing or salsa if desired
(of course I found this one on Picky Palate!)