Buffalo Chicken in the Crockpot

I found this recipe HERE, originally intended for lettuce wraps. It is pretty versatile, and could be used for wraps, salads, tacos, etc.

Ingredients:

• 24 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 16 oz chicken broth
• 1/2 cup hot cayenne pepper sauce (I used Frank's)

Directions:

In a crock pot, combine chicken, onions, celery stalk, garlic and broth (enough to cover your chicken, use water if the can of broth isn't enough). Cover and cook on high 4 hours.

Remove the chicken from pot, reserve 1/2 cup broth and discard the rest. Shred the chicken with two forks, return to the slow cooker with the 1/2 cup broth and the hot sauce and set to on high for an additional 30 minutes. Makes 3 cups chicken.

***Super delicious! We had this as lettuce wraps one night, tacos another night, and hubby ate some with rice to finish it off.  And a little secret I learned...if you are lucky enough to own a kitchenaid mixer, put those chicken breasts in with the paddle attachment for about 30 seconds and Voila! Shredded for you!!!***

Tangy Ranch Chicken

Recipe by French's:

2/3 cup ranch dressing
1/3 cup prepared mustard
3 Tbs brown sugar
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix salad ranch, mustard, brown sugar in a bowl.  Pour 1/2 cup sauce into a serving dish.
Coat chicken with remaining sauce in a greased, oven-safe dish.
Bake at 350f for 25 minutes.

Serve over rice, with remaining sauce.

***Yummy and easy!  Tastes like honey mustard after it has been baking.  The ranch flavor doesn't really come through, except a little bit in the uncooked sauce.***

BBQ Pineapple Chicken

I found this recipe here, and tweaked it just a little.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 can pineapple rings

Marinate chicken in BBQ sauce and pineapple juice overnight.

When you're ready, grill chicken on BBQ until no longer Pink. Grill the pineapple rings too, at the same time. They're delicious this way!

Don't toss the sauce!  Boil it in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Serve chicken and pineapple over rice, with a couple spoonfuls of sauce over the top. Or make it into a sandwich with cheese, like the original recipe :-)

***Great flavor, incredibly easy!  This will go into the regular rotation!!!***

Chicken with Creamy Dijon Sauce

1/2 cup Chicken Broth
6 Tbs Dijon Mustard
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
1 Tbs Italian Seasoning
1 Tbs Oil
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 tsp minced garlic

Mix broth, mustard, cream cheese and herbs until well blended.
Cook chicken in hot oil in a skillet until browned on both sides, about 15 minutes.

Stir in mustard sauce and garlic. Simmer over medium heat 3-5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.

***Delish!  I cut up the chicken before browning, so it was bite-sized.  We ate it with rice, but it would be great over pasta as well.***

Cajun Ranch Chicken Pasta

Slightly modified from Plain Chicken:

Grilled Cajun Ranch Chicken Pasta
Chicken
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp sugar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, cajun seasoning, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the gallon size ziplock bag and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (the longer the better). Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Grill chicken for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Pasta
16 oz bowtie pasta
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp pepper
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, Cajun seasoning, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Whisk together on low heat for 5-6 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta. Top with Cajun ranch chicken and sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

***Yummy!!! We had green beans on the side, which was perfect! I might adjust the seasonings a little...the chicken was not spicy at all and the pasta had a good kick.***

Chicken Pot Pie

I combined a few recipes to come up with this one. I needed it to be GF, wanted it to be from scratch, and still be fairly easy. I like how it turned out!

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed

1 cup sliced/diced carrots

1/2 cup frozen green beans

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup all-purpose flour (I used GF of course!)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

For the top crust:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (GF) + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (or use 1 cup bisquick mix)
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, beans, and corn. Add water to cover and boil for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic, flour, salt, and pepper. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place the chicken mixture in an 8x8 glass dish. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Stir to combine.
   
5. Mix milk, egg and flour/baking powder. Pour over chicken mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until golden.

   

***So good! I made this for lunch on my day off, because hubby doesn't like Chicken Pot Pie. Pretty sure it is the only thing he really doesn't like. So I'll deal. Besides, that means more for me, right???***

Chicken Spiedini (Minus the Spiedini) :-)

So I found this recipe over at What's Gaby Cooking? It was a guest post, and an amazing recipe!

Of course, I tweaked it. Preferences, ingredients available, and of course I can't leave a recipe alone... :-)

Oh, and the spiedini...that means meat on a stick. So basically I just didn't skewer the chicken.

Ingredients:
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained as much as possible

1 Tbs butter

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 Tbs sugar

1 pinch coarse salt (more or less depending on the salt in your tomatoes)

1 pinch pepper

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 clove garlic, minced

3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup bread crumbs (I used ground rice Chex)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tbs EVOO

4 Tbs butter, melted

8-12 oz spaghetti, cooked according to package directions (we like a quinoa-corn mix)

Lemon juice for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Simmer tomatoes, butter, broth, sugar, salt, pepper, Italian seasonings for 20-30 minutes on medium. Stir occasionally.
   
2. In a shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic and a tiny pinch of salt and pepper.
3. In another, combine oil and melted butter.
4. Dredge the chicken pieces through the butter/oil mixture, then through the breadcrumb mixture.
5. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Cook the chicken until golden brown on all sides and cooked through, about 8 minutes total.
6. Add cooked pasta to the tomato sauce. Toss to combine.
7. Serve chicken over a bed of spaghetti. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

***Super yummy! Took me a bit to set it up and make it, but now that I've got the steps down, it is actually pretty simple. Yummy, comforting meal! This will be in the regular rotation!***

Crockpot Meatballs

Modified from a recipe by the amazing Crockpot Lady!

1.25 pounds ground turkey (it's what I had, can use beef)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup Panko-style breadcrumbs ( we use ground rice/corn chex or rice krispies)

2 eggs

2 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes

1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

additional ingredients:

1 cup flour (I used GF)

1 3/4 cups chicken broth (can use beef)

4oz tomato paste

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Spray the inside of your cooker with cooking spray. In a good-sized mixing bowl, combine the turkey,Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs, and the dried spices. Combine well--- use your hands!.

After the meat is mixed, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil. Pour 1 cup of flour into a shallow dish.

Roll meat into golfball-sized balls and then lightly dust each meat ball with flour before placing onto the lined cookie sheet. When all the meat is gone, put the whole cookie sheet into the freezer for 1 hour, or until completely frozen.

Once your meatballs are frozen, place them one-by-one (don't dump!) into your lightly greased slow cooker. It's okay to stack them. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the broth and tomato paste to create a gravy. Pour this evenly over the meatballs.

Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the meatballs have browned and are fully cooked. They can stay on warm for about 3 hours if you need...

Serve with pasta or rice!

***Yummy! These came out really great! I really liked the flavor of the ground turkey, although I'm sure ground beef would be just as good. We at this with pasta. There is just the right amount of sauce for all of the meatballs. Easy-peasy!***

Dijon Crusted Chicken

Found at Taste of Home:

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs-we use ground rice or corn Chex!
  
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard-we used a little more
  
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon butter or margarine

Directions

• Place the first six ingredients in a shallow bowl. Brush chicken with mustard; roll in crumb mixture.
• In a large nonstick skillet, cook chicken in oil and margarine over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170°.
  

***Super easy and delicious! Great weeknight meal!***

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Slightly adapted from Here!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken
1 jar (8oz) salsa
8oz cream cheese
3/4 lb velveeta
8 corn tortillas
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
-Stir chicken, 1/2+ cup of salsa, and cream cheese together in a saucepan, over low heat until smooth.
-Spoon mixture onto each tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in a lightly greased 9x13 pan.
-Stir velveeta, milk, and remaining salsa over low heat until smooth. Pour sauce over tortillas and cover pan with foil
-Bake at 250 degrees for 20 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.

***Good, easy meal. Would have been great with some rice or other veggies, as it was a little rich. Note to self-Does not freeze well!***

Sesame Crusted Chicken

Slightly adapted from HERE!

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips


• salt and pepper to taste


• 2 tsp sesame oil


• 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce(LaChoy is GF)
  


• 6 tbsp toasted sesame seeds


• 1/2 tsp coarse salt


• 4 tbsp Crushed Corn chex (rice chex work too!)
  


• olive oil spray
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick oil spray or cover with parchment paper.

Combine the sesame oil and soy sauce in a bowl, and the sesame seeds, salt and chex in another.

Place chicken in the bowl with the oil and soy sauce, then into the sesame seed mixture to coat well. Place on the baking sheet; lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil spray and bake 8 - 10 minutes. Turn over and cook another 4 - 5 minutes longer or until cooked through.


***Sooooo good! This will be making a regular appearance on our menu! I thought it would be really salty, but definitely not the case! We made fried rice, and it was perfect! ***

Italian Parmesan Chicken

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 envelope GOOD SEASONS Italian Dressing Mix
1/2 tsp garlic powder
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)

or 10-12 chicken tenderloins

HEAT oven to 400°F.
MIX cheese, dressing mix and garlic powder.
MOISTEN chicken with water; coat with cheese mixture. Place in single layer in shallow baking dish.
BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until chicken is done (165°F). (about 15 minutes for tenderloins)

For a golden appearance, after chicken is done set oven to Broil. Place chicken 6 inches from heat. Broil 2 to 4 min. or until chicken is golden brown.

Found at Kraft/Good Seasons online (or back of italian dressing box).

***So deliscious and easy! I can have dinner on the table within 40 minutes of getting home after work. Hubby LOVES this chicken. If there are any leftovers, tastes great reheated or eaten cold with salad! Great served with some roasted potatoes.***

Peanut Butter Chicken

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut in chunks *

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (creamy or chunky, your choice)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 lime, juiced

1/4 cup soy sauce (use gluten free--La Choy or Tamari wheat-free)

1/2 cup chicken broth

* If you are going to use quarters, or meat with bones, be aware that the meat will probably fall off the bone, and you'll need to fish out the bone pieces before serving. I've used this sauce with a whole chicken (I doubled the sauce ingredients for a 4.5-pound bird) and it was fantastic, but the bones were a bit of an issue.

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into the bottom of your pot and add the peanut butter. Toss in the vegetables and cumin. Squeeze in lime, and add soy sauce and chicken broth. Stir as well as you can to combine (the peanut butter will be clumpy, and that's just fine). Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. Serve over rice or quinoa.

Found HERE!

***Good. Didn't taste too much like Peanut Butter! I think I will add more next time! And maybe a little less cumin. I also used slightly frozen chicken breast and just cut them in half, which helped the chicken stay moist.***

Chicken and Artichoke Pasta

Ingredients

• 4 cups uncooked bow tie pasta (I used GF)
  
• 1 pound chicken tenderloins, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms (I omitted...not my fav)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons white wine or chicken broth
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained
• 1 can (14 ounces) water-packed quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute chicken in 1 tablespoon oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.
• In the same skillet, saute mushrooms and onions in remaining oil until tender; add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the tomatoes, artichokes, salt and chicken. Cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until heated through.
• Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in basil. Drain pasta; serve with chicken mixture and cheese. Yield: 5 servings.

Found at Taste of Home!

***So good! Pretty healthy, really easy, great week night meal!!!***

Buffalo Chicken Burgers

1 lb ground chicken breast (I used turkey because that's what I had)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon italian seasoning
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce (I used Franks)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

ranch dressing + buffalo wing sauce for topping

4 buns (or GF Bread-I love Udi's)
Preheat grill or skillet.
In a large bowl combine ground chicken, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, parmesan and buffalo wing sauce. Mix until just combined. Form into patties.
Grill or pan-fry patties until brown on both sides and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.

In the last 2 minutes, place 1/2 ounce of cheddar cheese on each burger.

Place burgers on buns/bread and top with a drizzle of ranch and buffalo wing dressing.

Devour!

Found HERE!

***OMG! Sooooo good! Perfect level of flavor and spiciness without being over the top!!! Will definitely be making these over and over again!!!!***

Chicken Korma

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut in chunks (I did 3 breasts)

1 large potato, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch chunks

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes and juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (to add later)

cooked white or brown long grain rice for serving

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into the bottom of your pot. Add potato and onion. Pour in the tomatoes, and add garlic and all spices. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Discard the cinnamon stick, and stir in the sour cream or yogurt. Serve over rice.

Found HERE, The Crockpot Lady!

***Excellent flavor! Next time will probably add a little more curry and some chili flakes for a little heat. Also, 6 hours would be plenty of cooking time, as chicken tends to overcook/start to dry out, in my opinion. Yum!***

Chicken/Turkey Tetrazzini

8oz Pasta, cooked per package directions (I used GF Rice and Corn Pasta)
3 Tbs Butter
3 Tbs Flour (I used GF)
1/4 tsp Black or Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Salt
1-3 tsp Garlic Powder (to your liking)
2 cups Chicken Broth
3/4 Cup Half and Half
2 cups Cooked, diced Chicken or Turkey
3/4 Cup Parmesan
1/4 Cup Parmesan (for the top)

Melt butter in pan. Add flour. Cook for a few minutes, stirring. Add salt, pepper, garlic. Stir in broth. Bring to boil, simmer until slightly thick. Stir in cream, chicken, cheese. Add pasta. Pour in 9x9 dish. Top with remaining parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 about 20-30 minutes, until bubbly.

***I usually double, and put in a 9x13 dish. We just made this with leftover Thanksgiving turkey, but usually make it with chicken. I'm thinking about adding some spinach too! Hubby's favorite meal!!!***

Chicken Fingers

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
3 eggs
1/2-1 cup Flour (I used GF)
Crushed up cereal (I used Corn Chex, which are GF)

Dredge chicken in Flour, then egg. Season to taste, if desired. I like a little salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder. Then roll in crushed up cereal.

Place on lightly greased/sprayed cookie sheet for 20 minutes at 350. Then turn oven to broil and cook just about 5 minutes on each side. Be sure to watch, as the cereal tends to brown quickly!

Serve with fries, chips, salad, anything you like!

Cherry Balsamic Chicken

(I need to work on my photography!)

1 lb. chicken breasts

3/4 C sweet cherries {I used frozen}

1/4 C Balsamic vinegar

1 C chicken broth

Olive oil, as needed

In a little bit of olive oil, brown the chicken breasts on both sides until nicely golden brown (about 5 minutes per side).

Then, add in the chicken broth, and allow the chicken broth and chicken to simmer away for about 10 minutes, covered.

Add in the cherries and vinegar. Cover and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, for another 10-15 minutes.

Found HERE!

*** Delicious flavor!!! Mine didn't thicken up quite like the original, but the sauce tasted fantastic! Simple and delicious, just the way we like dinner!***

Spicy White Chicken Chili

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3-4 chicken breasts
3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers
2 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
3 (15 ounce) cans white beans-drained

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Brown the chicken with the garlic and oil. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the cheese) to the crockpot and cook on low at least 5 hours (6-8 is best).
3. Add cheese and stir until melted - Serve!

Found HERE!

***Delicious!!! I would recommend putting the cheese in the individual bowls...it was kind of messy mixed in the soup! Also, some sour cream to top it off would be delicious! Delicious flavor, and not too hot! Hubby could even tolerate the hot-ness:-) Definitely will be making this again!***