Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Soup

It's that time of year again when it begins to get cold outside and a hearty soup is the only thing that sounds good for dinner!  The other night was one of those nights so I whipped this soup together in the morning and put it in my crock pot to cook all day long.  Makes life easier in the evening for dinner because it is already done!  This recipe will warm you right up and make your heart go pitter-patter!

What I used:
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can Campbells cheddar cheese soup
steamed broccoli
 garlic powder (to taste)
1/4 cup sour cream
3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 cups cooked rice

Pour your broth, soups, and chicken into your crockpot.  Turn your crockpot on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hrs.  When you are ready for dinner steam your broccoli first and then add to your soup.  Add your sour cream and garlic to taste.  Take out your chicken and shred it with forks because yes, it will be that tender! 

I made up some rice {because I am not a dainty soup girl.... I'm a hearty soup girl ;) } and placed cooked rice in the bottom of the bowl and then poured the soup on top of it.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Seriously.  Warms you right to your soul!  The perfect soup for those cold blustery days!

From my kitchen to yours, ENJOY!!

BBQ Chicken Ranch Open faced sandwich

Oh my lanta friends!  You would not believe how A-MA-ZING this meal is!  Seriously!  Not only was it the best thing I have eaten recently but it did not cost a lot and it was simple to throw together! 

What I used:
1 loaf french bread
2 cups shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used both cheddar and mozzarella)
bbq sauce (choose your favorite!)
1 tomato
garlic powder
1 avocado
ranch dressing
Butter

Turn on the broiler to get it heated up.  Slice your bread in half, the long ways.  Spread your butter on your bread and then sprinkle garlic powder on top and spread around with your butter knife.  Put it on a pan and pop that baby in the oven to crisp up.  It won't take long to cook so keep a close eye on it.

Remove your bread from the oven and set aside.  Cook up your chicken and then shred it.  I marinated my chicken in some bbq sauce previously for a few hours.  Use some bbq sauce and spread a thin layer across your bread.  Top with a thin layer of cheese and your shredded chicken.  Top with another thin layer of cheese and sprinkling of garlic powder.  Put back in the oven just until warm and crispy.  Remove your bread again from the oven and dice up your tomato and avocado and place on top of chicken on bread. Top with a dash here and there of ranch dressing, slice up your sandwich and voila!  It is AMAZING!  I promise, you will not regret making and eating this dish! 

From my kitchen to yours, ENJOY!

Chicken Bagel Burger

Wow.  Just wow.

I was on the hunt for a yummy tasting meal and did I ever hit the jackpot!  Do you ever get tired of making the same thing week after week?  I do too!  A little creativity can get you very yummy places!  You want to talk about bursting with flavor, this baby has got it! Not only is it tasty, which is a very important thing when cooking :)  But it is also SUPER duper easy to make!

Give it a whirl, your taste buds (and probably your family!) will thank you!

What I used:
1 stick butter, divided
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
4 bagels
4oz cream cheese (hey I never said it was uber healthy! ;)
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
dash of garlic powder
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
4 sliced Mozz. cheese
mayo/mustard/ketchup (whatever you typically fancy on your burger)

Go ahead and warm up your skillet.  Place a few pads of butter in it and let it begin melting.  Place your bagels sliced side down in the skillet and let 'em toast.  Cook them until they are nice and crispy.  Remove and set aside.

Add a little bit of oil or more butter and add your cream cheese and sauce. Melt the cream cheese down and then add your chicken. Add a dash of garlic powder. Cook until your chicken is cooked through.

Spread your condiments on the bagel, add your chicken, top with a slice of cheese, tomato and avocado.

Now take a bite.

Delicious right?

It was a HUGE hit with my family and will definitely be on our menu again!

From my kitchen to yours, ENJOY!

Buffalo Chicken Roll Ups

Okay you all, seriously, this recipe should be hidden away because it can be dangerous!  If you are a bread lover like I am, I know... bad Wendy, so bad! then this recipe is right up your alley! It is pretty simple and my hubby and kids gave it a two thumbs up!

What I used:
1 cup shredded chicken breast, cooked
1/2 cup Mozzarella shredded cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup hot sauce/ buffalo sauce
4 tbsp butter (the real stuff, not the imitation margarine that is not even good for ya!)
2 envelopes rapid rise yeast
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup warm milk (I used 2%)
2 1/2 cups flour

Warm up your milk first and add your yeast and brown sugar and mixed it up until it was all dissolved.  I then added my flour and used my kitchen aid (aka my bestie in the kitchen!) with the dough hook on to mix that dough into shape!  (About 5-7 minutes)

Cover the dough in the bowl with a kitchen towel and place in a warm non-drafty area in the house.  I typically heat my oven up a little bit and then turn it off and place my dough in the oven.  It works like a charm!  It takes about an hour for it to rise.  While your dough is rising would be a great time to cook up and shred your chicken.

For the buffalo mixture, add your hot sauce with your cheese and add to the chicken.

Once your dough is ready pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees and place your dough on a floured surface to be rolled out.  Once your dough is rolled out nice and thin cut it into about 4-5 inch strips.  Take a spoon and pour some of your chicken mixture and place it in the middle of your dough strips.  Roll the dough up and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake in the oven for approximately 5-7 minutes or until the bread is a light golden brown.

Oh my stars is this ever tasty!  If you are not a fan of hot sauce, which I readily admit I am not, I was pleasantly surprised to find how not spicy this little piece of heaven was!  It was perfect for the kids and I and yet my hubby who likes the my mouth is on fire kind of sauces was able to spice his up!

Seriously? This is a MUST try :)

Pineapple Soy and Maple Chicken

I have been looking for new recipes for my family, just tired of the same ole' same ole'!  This one was definitely a hit and it actually tasted like (American) Chinese food!  Definitely chalk full of flavor!


What I used:
One chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup maple syrup (reduced calorie and sugar free)
1/2 can of pineapple chunks (because I didn't have fresh on hand
1/4 cup soy sauce
garlic powder to taste

Served over rice but I imagine you could serve it over pasta as well!

Cook your chicken until cooked through.  Add your syrup, garlic, and soy sauce.  Cook until bubbly and then turn burner to low.  Allow to simmer and add in your pineapple.  The sauce will almost caramelize..... oh man was it ever good!  Once your sauce has thickened a little bit it's ready to meet your taste buds! 

Again, I served this over rice and my hubby said the only thing it was missing was the chop sticks (which I must admit I am like an infant when I try to eat with chopsticks but my hubby is a pro)!

From my kitchen to yours, Enjoy!

Chicken Ranch Roll Ups

Looking for something simple to make for dinner is often on my mind.  I don't mind more time consuming meals at times, but most days I just don't have the time!  I was delighted when I found this meal over here on this website.   Very simple, easy to make, a light meal and full of flavor!  I did change a few things up to make it my own recipe and my family loved it!

What I used:
1 pkg.  crescent rolls (I used the big and flaky kind that came with 8 in the pkg.)
2 chicken breasts shredded and cooked
1 cup shredded mozz. cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8oz. cream cheese brought to room temp.
bread crumbs
1/4 cup ranch dressing
dash of paprika
 1/4 cup melted butter

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.  When your chicken is cooked through, (I cubed my chicken before cooking) toss it in your kitchen aid.  Seriously, it will shred your chicken like nobodies business with the other ingredients :)

Toss in your cheeses, cream cheese, ranch dressing, and paprika.

Next take your crescent rolls and roll them out placing scoop fulls of the chicken mixture  onto the large portion of your crescent roll.  Roll up and then fold in all the sides so none of the innards are showing.   Place on your greased baking sheet.  Repeat until all your rolls are used up and top with brushed on melted butter and breadcrumbs.

Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 min.

Photo credit 

Voila!
From my kitchen to yours, ENJOY!

Chicken Enchilada Tostada

I found this recipe over here  and thought it looked SO yummy!  Not sure if it is just the pregnancy hankerin' for a good Mexican dish or what, but whatever the hankerin' was it was a GREAT choice!  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 tbsp. brown sugar, packed

1 can chopped green chiles {I used the 8oz. can}

1 can {10 oz.} red enchilada sauce

1 cup frozen corn

1 can refried beans {I used Gebhardt}

tostada shells OR fried corn tortillas (I used flour tortillas)

Toppings {optional} lettuce, chillies, sour cream etc.

Shred your chicken and cook it up.  Also cook your tortilla shells.  I used a little oil in a skillet (enough to cover the bottom and then some).  

Once your chicken is cooked, coat it in taco seasoning and brown sugar. 

Add your chillies (I left those out... to spicey on the preggo belly!) and 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce.  Once heated through add your corn and cook for another 5-10 min.

Meanwhile you can cook the rest of your enchilada sauce with your refried beans via microwave or stove top.  

Once everything is cooked, take your tortilla and place a generous amount of your refried beans on it and spread it around.  Then top with your chicken mixture and continue adding all the toppings you wish!  The end result is SUPER yummy! 

From my kitchen to yours, ENJOY! 

I had to use her picture because it just looked SO much better than mine :) 

Photo Courtesy

Crock pot Italian Chicken

Well, for this recipe I can take zero credit!  I almost completely copied the recipe to a "t" that I found over here.  Simple enough, right?  This recipe is good, it has a unique flavor but it was definitely easy!  IT calls for only a few ingredients and since the crock pot does all the work, that makes it even better, right?

What she used:

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used chicken legs...I like the bone in chicken for my crock pot, it is just so juicy!)
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. Italian dressing seasoning (I used actually low fat Italian dressing, about 3/4 of the bottle)
rice or pasta

Mix all ingredients together and pour in the crock pot over chicken.   Cook on high for 4-6 hrs. or until chicken is cooked through.  Serve over hot noodles or rice!  I used rice and it was perfect!

From my kitchen to yours, enjoy!

Parmesan Chicken Crescents

So are you noticing a trend here?  WE are kind of big chicken fans around here :)  I would take chicken over beef any day.....unless I'm in the mood for a nice juicy burger :)  Sorry, getting off track here.  This recipe is VERY simple and tasty indeed!  Give it a whirl and let me know what you think!

What I used:
1pkg boneless skinless chicken breast with rib meat, sliced in long chicken tenders
1/3 cup flour
1 egg, whisked
1 cup oil
1 can crescent rolls
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I used Newman's Own Sockarooni)

shredded Mozzarella cheese
dash of Parsley

Dip chicken in egg, dip into flour to coat, place in oil in pre-heated skilled. Cook all the way through and remove from oil.  Pre-heat oven to 375.  Pour Spaghetti sauce into a bowl.
Roll out your crescent rolls and place some mozz cheese on top.  If you are a cheese fan feel free to load it up :)  Take your chicken and dunk it in your sauce then place on top of cheese on crescent roll.  Roll up like a normal crescent roll and bake for 15 min.  Top with a little extra cheese and some parsley and bake a remaining 5 min. 
There you have it!  So simple right?!  Trust me, this is a meal you will NOT want to pass up :)

From our kitchen to yours, ENJOY!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

So I have a new love for a website....it is complete with so many meal ideas that I am just going nuts enjoying all the new recipes!!  When I saw this one I knew I needed to try it.  Sooooo, we had it for dinner the other day :)  I switched up the recipe I found and here's how I made it.  Just so you know, it was a HUGE hit! :)

What I used:

1 lb. Pasta (You can use many different kinds if you so choose.)
1 cup Chicken Breasts, cooked and cubed
1 cup bacon, cooked and cut up
1 1/2 cups Milk
8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Salt
Pepper
Dash of Seasoned salt
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup Butter, melted

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the pasta; cook until al dente.  Drain and return to the pot. While Pasta is cooking go ahead and cook your chicken and bacon.  Add in the chicken and bacon to your pasta and mix well.

Preheat your broiler. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream cheese and garlic powder over low-medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it becomes a smooth texture (about 5 minutes). Stir into the pasta mixture. Add in the Mozzarella cheese and seasoned salt along with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer pasta to a 9x13 baking dish and top with Italian bread crumbs. Pour melted butter over crumbs and broil until browned, around 5 minutes or so. 

Photo credit  

From my kitchen to yours, enjoy!

Crockpot Orange Chicken

So I found this recipe and new I had to try it!  My husband loves orange chicken and usually orders it when we go out for Chinese food.  I found the recipe here, but again, tweaked the ingredients a bit to make it my own to suit our family taste. It was so easy to throw together and came out tasting AMAZING!

What I used:
7 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins, cut into bite size pieces
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1 can mandarin oranges, undrained
1 can chunk pineapple, undrained
salt and pepper to taste
Served over white rice


Peel and slice your carrots into bite size pieces.  Cut up your bell pepper into bite size pieces.  Put in crockpot.  Add chicken, garlic powder, orange juice, oranges and pineapples, salt and pepper.  Mix all together in crockpot.  Turn on low and cook for 4-6 hrs.  Serve over hot steamy rice!  I made egg rolls to go with this meal and it was a huge hit!  Definitely worth trying :)

photo courtesy

From my kitchen to yours, enjoy!!

Crusty Parmesan Chicken

WARNING: This meal is NOT going to be on the top ten healthy choices for your dinner :) However it is PRETTY YUMMY :)

What I used:
Almost an entire tube of Ritz crackers, crushed
Probably a half cup or more of Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of veggie oil
6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts

Get your oil heating up in a non-stick skillet.  Heat on med heat.  Fill a bowl with water and fill a plate with your crushed crackers and cheese.  Dip your chicken in the water then into the cracker mixture. Place in the oil and cook until chicken is cooked through turning to cook on both sides. Serve with dipping sauce, I used honey mustard but you can use whatever suits your fancy :)
Yes, it really does taste as great as it looks!!

From our kitchen to yours, enjoy!

Midwest Chicken legs!

This recipe is SOO scrumptious and though it involves a bit more work than if you had to plop these legs in the oven, I must admit, it does keep your house cooler by cooking them on the stove.  Living in the desert that is a deal breaker for me :)  Keeping the oven turned off on hot summer days is always welcome!

What I used:
4 chicken legs
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. garlic
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
3/4 cup bbq sauce
1 Tbsp. veggie oil

In a large resealable plastic bag add your flour, garlic and red pepper.  Add chicken legs and after sealing bag shake to coat. 













Pour oil into skillet and turn stove onto med-high.  Place chicken legs in oil and cook.

Turning once to brown both sides

Once chicken is browned, add bbq. sauce and turn to med-low and cover.  Cook for 25-30 min. or until cooked through turning chicken once.














The end result is chicken that is bursting with flavor and incredibly juicy!

Chicken Mushroom Melts

Sunday and Wednesday are busy days in our household so I am always looking for quick and tasty meals for those days!  Something that doesn't take long to make but  something that won't make me lose any flavor.  These open faced sandwiches are SO delicious!  The soy sauce mixed with the garlic just really brings out an amazing taste!  You must give it a try!  You will not be sorry you did!

What I used:
1/2 loaf of French bread, sliced thinly
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into very small pieces
1 can mushrooms
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
butter and garlic powder for bread
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
Shredded Cheese

Pour your oil in the skillet and add your chicken and mushrooms

Cook for about 5 minutes then add soy sauce

In the meantime butter your sliced bread and add garlic powder, enough to taste and place in the oven set to high broil.  Be sure to keep an eye on the bread because it will not take long to bake.

Once your mushrooms and chicken are cooked add the heavy whipping cream and stir together.  Do not boil.  Cook on low heat until sauce is a little thicker.

Spoon mixture onto bread slices and top with cheese.  Pop in the oven for a minute or two longer to melt the cheese.

So delicious!!!  It tasted even better than it looks!

Southwest Chicken and Pasta Skillet

If I had to sum up this recipe in one word it would be flavorful!  Having not tried this recipe before myself I was a bit skeptical but with some tweaking (of course!) it turned out SUPER tasty! 

What I used:
1 chicken breast, cut up
2 cups elbow pasta, uncooked
1 24oz. jar salsa
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1/4 tsp. ground sage
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 cup Mexican style shredded cheese

Get your water boiling for your pasta and while the water is boiling, instead of watching it boil, start cutting up your chicken.

Spray pan with cooking spray and begin to cook chicken over med/high heat.  Cook until no longer pink.

Add jar of salsa, sage, cream cheese and taco seasoning.  Bring to boil and turn low to simmer stirring every now and then.

Don't forget about your pasta!  Make sure it is boiling!

Once pasta is ready, drain and add pasta to salsa mixture.  Mix well and top with cheese.

Super duper tasty and the great thing about this meal is that it does not require the oven to be turned on thus not heating up the house on those already warm days! 

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Caprese Chicken with Bacon

Looking for a fancy lookin' meal because you are having company and want to impress them with your culinary skills?  This easy chicken recipe would do the trick!  This recipe once again came from the collection of fabulous Taste of Home magazines I have.  I tweaked it just a tiny bit, but for the most part I must give credit to Taste of Home for giving us yet another wonderful recipe!  Give it a try!

What I used:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 strips of turkey bacon
1 Tbsp. Veggie oil (I use vegetable oil because I have read it is the healthiest oil to use)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Beefsteak tomatoes, sliced or diced
a dash of Basil
Shredded Mozzarells cheese


Get our oil out and pour into a shallow bowl and get your oven preheated to 400 degrees. Also get your bacon cooking.  Fry your bacon just enough so that it is not crispy.

Baste your chicken on both sides with oil.  *Rabbit trial: I LOVE my baster!  It isn't one with those tiny bristles, and I am SO thankful for that!  I used to use the other kind but often found that after a certain amount of time those bristles would begin appearing in my tasty dishes!  No thank you!

Sprinkle on your salt and pepper (are you able to look past my well loved baking sheet? :)

Top with tomatoes

Add your dash of basil

Take your bacon and wrap it around the chicken breast.  I used turkey bacon simply because it is better for you.  Pop these babies in the oven for 20 min. or until cooked through.













Top with Mozz. cheese and bake for 1 min. longer or until cheese is melted.

Now you can't tell me that doesn't LOOK delicious!  The taste is even better!

Is your mouth watering yet? :)

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Glazed ~n~ Grilled Drumsticks

Are any of you out there Taste of Homers?  As I flipped through one of my magazines I came across a tasty sounding (and looking!) recipe! We love to grill and now that we live in the desert I imagine we will be able to grill nearly year round!  Yay for mom's night off :) 
This recipe was featured in the magazine but I once again tweaked it, partially because I forgot to pick up some of the ingredients...oops!  It turned out to be GREAT though!

What I used:
6 chicken legs
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
4 tsp. honey
dash of ground sage
1/2 tsp. garlic powder



 Gather all your ingredients and mix up the last 5 together.


















Baste your chicken (and if you REALLY want more flavor place it in a ziploc bag with your chicken and marinate for 4 hours in your fridge) really well with this tasty sauce!

Place on grill and begin the beautiful grilling process.

Grill until no longer pink making sure to turn your chicken over and grill on all sides.  While grilling be sure to wipe your chin frequently so as not to drool over the deliciousness before your eyes.....

Finished product is enough to make your taste buds go wild!  Your mouth will thank you for delighting it so much!

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Nacho Chicken

Talk about simple and tasty!  Not a lot of time on your hands?  Then this is the perfect dish for you!  I found the recipe from kraftfoods.com and I must admit, I did a bit of tweaking yet again to make it my own.  The inspiration came from kraft foods though.  Only takes 20-25 min. to make, plus if you add rice to your rice cooker and toss some veggies in a pot, your complete meal can be ready in 20 min.!  Not bad for an on the go family!

What I used:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chunky salsa, I used mild because I have little ones and because I am a wimp when it comes to spice :)
4 slices turkey bacon, cooked to crispy and chopped
1/2 cup tortilla chips, crushed
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 Beefsteak tomato, chopped
A dollop of sour cream

Place your three chicken breasts on a cookie sheet that has foil wrapped around it

Spoon salsa onto chicken, spread evenly.  Place in oven set to 400 degrees and bake for 20 min. 

Remove from oven, top with crushed chips

Tomatoes

Bacon

and last but certainly not least, cheese

Bake for another 5 min, until cheese melts.  Remove from oven and top with sour cream.

Now wasn't that easy? :) 
From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Hickory Chicken open faced sandwich

Don't you just love to grill?  Summer nights and grills just seem to go together and today I bring you a recipe to add to your grilling out cookbook!  SUPER easy and cost efficient!  Not to mention a taste that will give your taste buds a party!

What I used:
1 loaf of French bread, sliced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into small portions
1/2 cup Hickory bbq sauce
Tablespoon of Mayo or Mustard
A few slices of onion
Sliced pepper jack cheese

Slice your chicken in half and then into small pieces.  Take your baster and baste the chicken on both sides with your hickory bbq sauce.  Place on grill and cook until your hearts content :)  Adding more sauce if desired.

Slice your French bread in half and then slice into several pieces.  Butter the top.  Turn oven onto broil.

Place bread in oven for just a few minutes, until crisp.

Spread mayo/mustard on bread, layer with onion, grilled chicken and pepper jack cheese.

Finished product is a TASTY open faced sandwich!

From our table to yours, bon appetite!