Chipotle Chicken Salad

I had gotten stuck in a bit of a rut with our same old salad each week.  I came across this recipe and we both really enjoyed the change. 
 
Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad
from Nutmeg Notebook
Dressing:

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2/3 cup light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:

• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
• 1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.
To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Chicken Parmesan Casserole 
from Our Pinteresting Summer

Ingredients

• chicken breasts
• olive oil
• minced garlic
• red pepper flakes 
• marinara sauce (a jar)
• Parmesan/mozarella cheese

Directions: 
1. Cut up chicken and place in the bottom of a pyrex dish.
2.  Sprinkle over some evoo, minced garlic and red pepper flakes.
3. Cover the chicken with sauce as you see it.  I used quite a bit because the last thing that you want is dry pasta.
4. Cover the top with mozarella/parmesan cheese..lots of cheese (the recipe also calls for croutons on top, but I skipped this part)
5. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.
6. While the chicken was cooking, I prepared the spaghetti on the stove top.
7.  Mix them together well when both are ready and enjoy.  Quick and easy way to make chicken parm.

Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake

Last week I got tired of all of the recipes that we had and wanted to find something new.  Thanks to Pinterest, I came across this gem.  Easy and really good.

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

from Saving Money Living Life

• 8 oz uncooked rigatoni
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 c chopped onion
• 1 (10 oz) pack frozen spinach, thawed
• 3 c cubed, cooked chicken breasts
• 1 (14 oz) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (8 oz) container Philadelphia chive & onion cream cheese
• ½ t salt, ½ t pepper
• 1½ c shredded mozzarella cheese

Prepare rigatoni according to pkg directions.  Spread oil on bottom of 11×7 in baking dish; add onion in a single layer.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or just until tender.  Transfer onion to large bowl, set aside.
Drain chopped spinach well, pressing between paper towels.  Stir in rigatoni, spinach, chicken, & next 4 ingredients into onion in bowl.  Spoon mixture into dish & sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes; uncover & bake 15 more minutes or until bubbly.

Easy Dinner

Since the end of the school year, I have kind of slacked on cooking dinner.  Throw in a vacation and the start of summer school and we were in need of some good home cooked food.  Well leave Pinterest to find us something good. 
I made Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Breast, but used a suggestion from Pinterest of subbing greek yogurt for the mayonnaise and it was delicious!


Ingredients:
*4 Chicken Breast
*1 cup Greek Yogurt
*1/2 Cup Parmesan
*1 tsp garlic powder
*1 1/2 tsp season salt
*1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 375
*Combine all ingredients in bowl (except for chicken).
*Cover chicken in the mixture and place in a pyrex.  (I did this by dipping the underside and then glopping the mixure on top of the chicken once it was in the pyrex dish).
*Cook in oven for 45 minutes

To go with it, I made roasted veggies:
* I cut up and tossed carrots, zucchini, squash, potatoes, onions and whole garlic cloves in just a bit of olive oil with some rosemary, salt and pepper and maybe Oregano ( I can't really remember what I added...
*I poured it all into a jelly roll baking sheet.  I placed it in the oven when I did the chicken and let it cook for the same amount of time (45 minutes).  I did pull out the veggies 10 minutes before they were ready and sprinkled a little parm. on them too.

It was a great dinner, fairly healthy and best news of all--Leftovers! : )

Soft Shell Chicken Tacos

One of my mom's sweet friends saw these on their local news and tried them out. The prep work is SO easy and its a crockpot meal, so it saves you the time of being there for the cooking part.

Grant's soft shell chicken tacos

5 to 6 chicken breasts

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

16 oz of salsa

Cumin

Shredded lettuce

Sour cream

Pico de Gallo

Shredded pepper jack cheese

Flour tortillas

In a crock pot, put your chicken breasts in and sprinkle generously with cumin. Then place your salsa and cream of chick soup over the chicken. Cook on low for 8 hours or until the chicken is fork tender. Once the chicken is cooked, take a fork and shred the chicken on the crock pot and blend well with the sauces.

We still had some of the salsa and guac left over from the Roasted Chicken Wraps and I also served it with some chopped onions, shredded cheese and sour cream. YUM!

Roasted Chicken Wraps with Black Bean Salsa and Guac

This is another recipe from pinterest that I just had to try and oh my goodness the salsa and guac made this recipe amazing!! Next time I might make this during a week that I buy a rotisserie chicken just to make it even easier.

Roasted Chicken Wraps with Black Bean Salas and Guac
*No pics again..y'all I am just falling down on the job. Know they were pretty : )

Ingredients

For the guacamole:
2 ripe avocados
¼ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
¾ tsp. kosher salt
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

For the black bean salsa:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp. red onion, finely chopped
½ ripe mango, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 green onion, chopped
1 tbsp. jalapeño, finely minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 cob corn, roasted, or ½ cup canned corn
1 tsp. ground cumin

To assemble:
6 large whole wheat tortillas or wraps
2 roasted chicken breasts, diced or shredded*
4-5 cups baby spinach leaves

Directions

• To make the guacamole, split the avocados and remove the pits. Scoop the flesh into a medium bowl. Mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth. Add in the onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and jalapeño. Continue mashing until it has a fluffy, whipped texture. Adjust seasonings to taste.

• To make the black bean salsa, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to combine and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to mingle.

• Briefly microwave the tortillas or wraps to warm them and make them malleable. Place a tortilla on a work surface and spread 2 tablespoons of guacamole on top. Add ¼ cup of the cooked chicken to the bottom third of the tortilla. Top with 3 tablespoons of the black bean salsa and a handful of baby spinach leaves. Roll the bottom edge up and over the fillings, fold the sides inward, and roll tightly the rest of the way, burrito-style. Place on a cutting board and slice diagonally. Serve with additional guacamole, sour cream, etc.

Chicken Roll ups

I made these a couple of weeks ago. They were quick and super easy.

Chicken Roll ups

• 1 pkg cream cheese (8oz)
• 1 pkg crescent rolls (6 ct)
• 2 shredded cooked chicken breasts
• 1.5 C grated chedder cheese
• 1 C grated Monterey Jack
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• *I also added in some poultry seasoning and a little bit of garlic.
  
• bread crumbs
• 1/4 stick melted butter

Combine chicken, cheeses, salt and pepper. Spoon onto crescents. Roll them up making sure they are sealed around the chicken mixture. Brush tops with butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. To reheat, just place in a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Chicken Spaghetti

I have never made Chicken Spaghetti. I know that this is such a staple food so I think that it is weird that I have never made it. Whilst searching for recipes the other day on Pioneer Woman, I came across this Chicken Spaghetti recipe. It was very simple and had a very traditional chicken spaghetti taste..it was a hit at our house! We had guests and our house this night that were unaware of my obsession with photographing and posting my recipes on the blog, so I refrained. No picture for you today. I did however serve this with a salad made up of spinach, strawberries, blueberries, feta and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. For dessert we had the thin mints and ice cream sandwiches.

Chicken Spaghetti
from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cooked Chicken
• 3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
• 2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 cup Finely Diced Green Pepper
• 1/4 cup Finely Diced Onion
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
• 2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
• 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

*Next time I will freeze half of it prior to cooking and only cook half of it.

Better Cheddar Chicken

Better Cheddar ChickenIngredients
1 cup crushed cornflakes cereal (I used Italian bread crumbs)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon Creole-style seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup butter, melted
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, mix together the cornflake crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, garlic salt, Creole seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Pour melted butter into a shallow dish. Coat each chicken breast with melted butter, and then roll in the crumb mixture. Place coated chicken into the prepared baking dish.
Bake uncovered for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until chicken is no longer pink, and the juices run clear.

Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

Honey Chicken Stir-Fry
From Taste of home Comfort Cookbook Diet
1 pound chcken breast cut into 1-inch pieces
1 garlic clove minced
3 tsp olive oil
3 tbs honey
2 tbs soy sauce
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 package (16 ounces) frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable blend
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbs cold water
Hot cooked rice
Directions
*In a large nonstick skillet, stir-fry chicken and garlic in 2 tsp oil. Add honey, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until chicken is lightly browned and juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
*In same pan, stir-fry vegetables in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Return chicken to the pan; stir to coat. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Serve with rice

Weight Watchers Chicken Salad

Weight Watchers Chicken Salad

*I honestly don't pay much attention to the amounts. Just add what you think looks right : )
¼ cup fat free yogurt
¼ cup fat free mayonnaise
6 oz cooked, skinless chicken breast
½ c grapes, red seedless, halved
2 medium scallions, chopped
1 tsp chopped walnuts
Celery
Apples
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
Combine all ingredients in a food processor.