Freezer Meals Day 11- Chicken Tenders

It's kid Friendly Meals Week this week.  All week I will have some fun freezer meals that are great for those crazy day lunches, or even dinner... for your little ones.  Every time we decide to eat out my kids tell me they want chicken and french fries.  So today, I have some chicken fingers for you that you can freeze ahead of time and have ready to microwave at a moments notice. 

Spend one afternoon making a bunch of these, and you'll save tons of time and money in the long run. 

Chicken Tenders

1 1/2 lbs Chicken Tenders

1 1/2 C. Flour

2 Eggs beaten

1/4 C. milk

1 C. Bread Crumbs

1 C. Panko Bread Crumbs

1 Tsp Season Salt

Salt and Pepper to taste

Sprinkle raw chicken with salt and pepper.  In a small shallow dish, add the flour with a dash of salt and pepper.  In another shallow bowl add eggs and milk. Beat well.  And another shallow dish, mix together the bread crumbs, season salt, salt and pepper. 

Coat tenders with flour and then dip in the milk/egg mixture. Then coat with the bread crumbs.  Place the tenders on a cookie sheet and bate at 375 for about 15 minutes. 

To Freeze:  After baking, allow them to cool.  Put cookie sheet in the freezer and freeze the tenders. When frozen, transfer to a freezer bag.  Label, date and return to the freezer.

To Thaw:  remove desired amount of tenders and heat in the microwave (about a minute for 3 or less tenders) in the oven (375 for about15 min.) or deep fry them on medium until golden brown. 

Freezer Meals Day 10- Chicken Stuffed Pablanos

Man oh Man! My husband rocks!  He was on a roll tonight!  As a little disclaimer... I haven't officially frozen this dish or the previous post, to get exact thawing times etc... but I can't see any reason why they wouldn't freeze and thaw just fine.  So sorry about that, but hey... it's my blog and I can do what I want.  And I want to post this recipe now!

Don't let the wrinkly nasty looking pepper fool you.  I never did like the way they photographed.  They always look so gross.  But taste so good!

Chicken Stuffed Pablanos

8 large Pablano Peppers (seeded, ribbed and broiled)

16 oz block Monterey Jack Cheese

1 recipe of Mystery Dish Chicken (cooked) (recipe below)

Cut heads off of the peppers.  Remove all seeds and ribs. Broil Peppers on high until skin is blistered.  About 5 minutes. Remove from oven and place in a plastic Ziploc bag and seal.  Allow peppers to sweat/cool for 5-10 minutes.  Remove waxy skins.  (it should slip right off). Stuff peppers with a slice of cheese and desired amount of chicken.  Bake at 250 for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

To freeze-  Before baking, place stuffed peppers on a cookie sheet or plate and freeze.  When frozen, toss them into a freezer bag, label and freeze.

To thaw, bake at 250 for 35-45 minutes or until cheese is gooey and melted.  You can also speed things up and just toss them in the microwave for 1-3 minutes.

Chicken Marinade-

3 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp water

1 ½ tsp salt

½ pablano pepper (seeded, ribbed and finely chopped)

1 tbsp prepared minced garlic (not the dried minced)

1 tbsp sugar

2 lbs of chicken (raw and diced)

2 tbsp olive oil

 In a medium bowl combine marinade ingredients.  Toss in chicken.
Stir to coat.  Let sit 5-10 minutes.

Heat olive oil into a frying pan.  Bring to medium heat. Toss in chicken, discarding the liquid. Cook for about10 minutes or until cooked through.

Freezer Meals Day 9- Mystery Meal

Sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln this dish is good.  I tell you what, I think I am just going to turn this blog over to my husband.  His food is absolutely amazing!!  I've been in a "I don't want to cook cause my kitchen is a mess" mood this week.  I cleaned it all up and made some tamales earlier this week.  By the end of the tamale run, not only was my kitchen a mess, but so was the rest of my house.  I've never been good at cleaning as I go.  A trait I am trying to acquire.

By the time tamale day is over, I'm wiped out and don't feel like cleaning.  3 days later...I turn into a tornado. (after everyone and their mom has seen my messy house and I'm so embarrassed I finally decide to do something about it) I put the kids to bed and plow through the house cleaning every nook and cranny. Anyway... still feeling like I don't want to cook, my hubby decided to get creative tonight.  I had a few different dishes that I had on the list to try for this week, but just wasn't feeling it.  So we decided to switch gears and let Trever take a wack at a new dish.  And of course he passed with flying colors.  There are quite a few steps to this one, but they go pretty quick. Especially if you have the rice made up ahead of time. 

So here is the deal... We are not sure what to call this.  So we are going to have a contest.  Not sure what the winner will get.  Maybe just the satisfaction of naming one of my dishes.  We will see. But leave a post with your desired recipe name. Trever and I will choose and let you know. The contest will run until next Saturday the 14th.  Be sure to check in daily for all of the fun names!

Mystery Meal

Rice

½ pablano pepper seeded, ribbed and finely chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

1/8 large onion finely chopped

Salt to taste

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cups cooked rice *

1 tbsp lime juice

Heat oil in a pan, add pepper, garlic, onion, salt, and sugar. Saute until tender. 3-4 minutes.  Stir in cooked rice.  Add 1 tbsp lime juice.

Chicken Marinade-

3 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp water

1 ½ tsp salt

½ pablano pepper (seeded, ribbed and finely chopped)

1 tbsp prepared minced garlic (not the dried minced)

1 tbsp sugar

2 lbs of chicken (raw and diced)

2 tbsp olive oil

 In a medium bowl combine marinade ingredients.  Toss in chicken.
Stir to coat.  Let sit 5-10 minutes.

Heat olive oil into a frying pan.  Bring to medium heat. Toss in chicken, discarding the liquid. Cook for about10 minutes or until cooked through.

Jalapeno Cream Cheese (we just used half of this recipe and saved the rest for another meal)

1 8 oz package cream cheese

8 oz sour cream

2-3 jalapenos (ribbed and seeded) **

Salt to taste    

2 tbsp sugar

1/8 large onion finely diced

3 tbsp lime juice

1-2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Soften cream cheese and blend in a blender well. 

additional ingredients needed

1/2 cup monterey jack cheese shredded

1 cup tortilla chip pieces

Layer

in a 9x9 (you can do a larger pan to make it thinner if desired) aluminum pan, put rice in the bottom, packing it down firmly. Add cooked chicken to the top of the rice.Top with jalapeno cream cheese. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese

Cover with foil and label.  Freeze

To thaw, Bake covered at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until heated through. Uncover and broil on high for 3-5 min. until cheese is golden.

If making fresh... just skip to the quick broil to crisp the cheese.

Top with tortilla chip pieces.

* Day old rice is best, but if it's fresh, after steaming/cooking it... spread it onto a cookie sheet and bake at 250 for 15 min. This will dry it out a little bit and keep it from clumping so much.

** Each Jalapeno has a different heat content from what I've found.  Also it depends on how well you clean out the ribs and seeds.  Make sure to clean them out well (I like to use rubber gloves to avoid catastrophy) I would start with one.  Taste it and add more according to tastes.  Trever added 3 and it wasn't spicey at all, but again, it just depends.

Freezer Meals Day 8- Poppy Seed Chicken

I found this recipe from my friends blog. I have to admit, when I looked at it, I thought... where is all the seasoning? But I tried it as is anyway.  WOW, no seasoning required.  It's Fabulous!  The crackers really give it a nice flavor.  I did season the chicken with salt and pepper when I cooked it, but that's it. 

Poppy Seed Chicken

5 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups crushed buttery round crackers (like Ritz)
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup butter, melted
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Recipe taken from Pickle Boat Recipes

2. Place the chicken into a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, stir together the condensed soup and sour cream. Pour over the chicken. In a separate bowl, stir together the crushed crackers, poppy seeds and melted butter. Sprinkle over the chicken and sauce.

3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top of the casserole is browned and the sauce is bubbly.

Freezer Meals Day 7 - Honey Lime Enchiladas

Fussy teething baby means no commentary today.  Just try them, they are good! :)

Honey Lime Enchiladas

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked (seasoned with salt and pepper) & shredded (I used a rotisserie chicken)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound Monterrey jack cheese, shredded ( used cheddar)
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (I left this out)

Whisk the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken in a Zip-lock bag. Let it marinate for at least a 1/2 hour. Longer is better. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan.
Fill the tortillas with chicken, saving marinade, and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Lay rolled tortillas in the pan. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade (if there is any). Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Recipe adapted from Dinner on a Dime

Freeze in a foil pan covered in foil, before cooking.  To thaw, cook at 350 for about 45 min, remove foil and cook another 30.  Or thaw on the counter and cook as directed above. Remember to label your foil!

Freezer Meals day 6- Cranberry Chicken

We ate this dish at our ward Christmas party, and have enjoyed it many times since.  All I can say about this one, is Whoa baby it's good! I got the recipe from a friend of mine.  Defiantly a keeper...

Cranberry Chicken

4  chicken breasts sliced in half

1 package dry onion soup mix

1 (16 ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce

1 cup French dressing

Lay chicken side by side in a foil 9x13 pan.  Mix together remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken.  Cover with foil. Keep in the fridge for about 8 hours or overnight.  (I have made this without marinating it.  It's not as fabulous but still good)  Bake at 350 (covered loosely with foil) for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Or until cooked through.

To freeze-  Before cooking, cover with foil, label and date. Put in freezer

To Thaw- I haven't tested the thaw time in the oven but I would guess about 45 minutes longer.  So a total of 2 hours in the oven. Or you can just thaw on the counter and cook for the designated time.  I don't like to mess around with raw chicken so I over cook mine just to make sure. 

Serve with rice.

Baked Chicken-Bacon Alfredo

I was sitting on the couch, recovering from a c-section and enjoying being pampered, when my mother-in-law brought be a plate of this dish. I seriously considered asking her to move in with us!  My house was so clean and every meal was absolutely divine!  This dish was so good.  The great part was, we froze the leftovers and ate them the other night.  They were even better the second time around.  Probably because I was off of the pain pills and had my senses back to full power. You can double the batch and freeze one, or toss the leftovers in a freezer bag and freeze it that way.  Either way, Fabulous!

Baked Chicken-Bacon Alfredo

8 oz. penne or bow tie pasta

1 jar Alfredo sauce or 1 recipe Alfredo Sauce

1/2 rotisserie chicken pulled apart into pieces (or 2 chicken breasts cubes and grilled)

6 oz. (1/2 package) bacon, cooked and chopped

1 14-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 c. chopped green onions (about 1 decent-sized bunch)

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Preheat oven to 350.

 

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

When pasta is done, drain and stir in Alfredo sauce. Toss with chopped chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, green onions, and 1/2 c. mozzarella. Season to taste.

Transfer mixture to an 8×8″ baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

 

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

Egg Rolls

The other night my hubby and I decided we wanted to have a little party.  I have been craving his Lettuce Wraps lately and he had promised to make some for a few people.  So we made a party out of it. I decided to take a whack at egg rolls. I have to admit, I'm pretty impressed with how they turned out! 

Next time I would change a couple of things to make them even better....noted below.  Stay tuned tomorrow for the sweet and sour sauce that Trever made to go with these!

Egg Rolls

1 Pkg Cole slaw mix

1 chicken breast cooked and shredded

½ cup chopped green onion

1/3 cup soy sauce (next time I will try ¼ cup)

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chopped or ground ginger

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 tbsp butter (next time I'd leave this out)

½ c. diced celery

1 Tbsp Hoisen Sauce (not necessary if you don't have it, but is super yummy with it)

2 Tbsp sugar (next time I would do all brown sugar)

1 Tbsp brown sugar

14-16 egg roll wrappers

Melt butter in a large skillet, toss in all other ingredients (except for the egg roll wrappers) and sauté until crisp tender. Place egg roll wrappers with one corner towards you. Scoop desired amount of filling into a wrapper, roll and fry in a skillet or deep fryer until golden brown.

(Drain the liquids from the mixture as you scoop it onto the wrapper. You don't want it too moist.)



Chicken Parmigiana

I was very delighted with this dish! A friend of mine made a similar recipe for me when I had my last baby and I really enjoyed it.  I hadn't eaten it since.  Then I found this recipe on another friends blog and decided to give it a try.  The only thing I think I changed was using Italian seasoning instead of oregano for the sauce.  Yummy yummy yummy!!!

Chicken Parmigiana

4  boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and basil. In another bowl, beat the egg. Dip chicken into egg, then coat with crumb mixture. In a large skillet, brown chicken in butter and oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

Chunky Marinara Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 2 to 4 minutes until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.

Mix in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until flavors are blended, stirring frequently.

Zuchinni Bake

I went to a friends house a few weeks ago to hang out for a play date. She brought out this amazing dish for our lunch. Wow, it was absolutely delicious!!!  I ended up making it for dinner a couple of days later. Everyone loved it!  It's a great way to get in some veggies.  You can use just zucchini, or combine it with yellow squash.  You can also add in some shredded chicken or even shredded broccoli. As long as it is shredded or chopped extremely fine... go for it! Get creative with it. I would love to hear from you.  How did you make it? 

Zuchinni Bake

4 zucchini or yellow Squash 

1 chicken breast shredded (optional)

1-2 tbsp butter or olive oil

1/2 onion chopped fine

spices to taste (I did about 1/2 tsp of each) parsley, oregano and basil

salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs

1 cup cheese (Parmesan and mozzarella mix is super yummy! but any cheese will do)

2 packages of small home-style refrigerator biscuits

Pour in butter or olive oil into a skillet.  Then add vegetables, chicken (if desired) and spices.  Saute' until cooked through.  Just a couple of minutes. Drain the fluid.  Mix with eggs and cheese.  (feel free to go liberal on the cheese.  I used about 2 cups).

In the bottom of an 8x8 pan. (or you can use a 9x13 if you don't want it as thick)... press the refrigerator biscuits into the bottom of the pan, filling all holes, creating a crust.  Bake at 300 for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven. Turn the heat up to 350 degrees.  Pour your skillet mixture on top of the crust evenly. Can top with more cheese if desired.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden on top.

Remove from oven and serve. 

tip: I used the refrigerator biscuits that were not as thick and big as the ones such as Pillsbury grands.  You could use the bigger ones and just may need one can instead of two.

Chile Lime Chicken Burritos

These burritos have got to be my favorite, of the 4 we make at our classes.  There is so much depth to them, and so many different flavors to enjoy. The chicken for this recipe comes from my

Chile Lime Chicken Tostadas In Slow Cooker recipe. I also created a yummy cilantro lime rice to go with it. 

Give these a try, you won't be disappointed!  These make an awesome freezer meal to put away for another day.

Chile Lime Chicken Burritos

To make the burritos,  put 1/2 cup of rice on the tortilla (recipe Below), about 1/4 to 1/3 cup chicken and  2-3 tbsp of black beans. Roll into a burrito. Heat and serve with salsa and/or sour cream.

This recipe makes about 12 burritos

Cilantro Lime Rice

3 Cups Uncooked white rice

6 Cups Water

2 tbsp butter

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tbsp lime juice

2 1/2 tbsp chicken bullion

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 tbsp lime juice

Pour first 6 ingredients into a rice cooker. (you can also cook it over the stove.  Simmer for about 20 min or until cooked through and there is no more water.) Cook on white rice setting.  When rice is cooked add chopped fresh cilantro and another 2 tbsp of lime juice.  Stir well.

black beans

(10 inch) Tortillas

1/2 recipe of Chile Lime Chicken Tostadas In Slow Cooker

 If freezing... wrap each burrito individually in foil and freeze up to 3 months. Then when ready to eat... microwave on high for 4 minutes or until heated through. You may also fry it, or bake it until heated through.

Tip: Double or triple the batch to store a bunch of burritos for a rainy day!

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I really enjoy a good Chicken Salad.  My mom made one growing up that I'll share in the future.  I have really enjoyed more fruit in mine lately. I've been playing around with a couple of recipes and my husband and I combined some and made this one.  It's super yummy!

Chicken Salad Sandwiches



2 ( 12.5 oz) cans of chicken (or 3 cups diced cooked chicken)

1 1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 cup red grapes, halved

1 green onion, diced

1 rib celery, diced

1/2 cup diced apple

salt and pepper to taste

pecans or cashews, optional

¼ cup of sugar

Combine all ingredients into a bowl. Stir well.

Serve on any type of bread (I like to put it on a bagel.  Using lettuce to cover the holes.)

Cheesy Chicken Penne with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I've got another freezer meal for you today!  This one was a huge hit for my family!  I really liked the sun dried tomatoes that were in it.  I'm usually not a huge fan of them, but if gave the dish a nice sweet flavor in the midst of the saltiness of the cheese.  A great combo.

A word to the wise:  When you are making your sauce, don't turn up the burner too high!  Be patient, it will thicken and simmer, I promise. (it's not going to get super thick.  It will be about the difference between regular milk at the start and heavy cream at the end) If you are making a huge batch, it will take longer.  I didn't do my job at our freezer meal class and it got burned.  Not so yummy! So whatever you do... leave it on medium heat and stir, stir, stir!  Make sure that when you are stirring, you are getting the bottom of the pan.  If you leave it on medium and you are constantly stirring well, you shouldn't have any problems.

The one in the picture is topped with mozzarella cheese.  I've made it that way and with no cheese on top.  Both are great. It just depends on how cheesy you feel like getting!

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes

kosher salt and black pepper

1 pound penne rigate

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

6 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups shredded provolone* (6 ounces) you could also make that 1/2 mozzarella

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan 

1 Cup mozzarella cheese (topping)  (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you’re going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.

While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.  

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot (I just use the pot I cooked my pasta in), melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer.  Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add tomatoes; cook 1 minute. take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.  (top with remaining mozzarella cheese if desired)

Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer instructions:

To freeze, prepare all steps just before baking. Cover pan well with aluminum foil and then plastic wrap.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake, preheat oven to 400.  Remove plastic from pan (leaving foil on) and bake for about 1 1/2 hours.  Remove foil, stir pasta.  Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly throughout

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

Crock Pot Creamy Southwestern Chicken Nachos

Here is another great one for our last day of Crock pot week!  This is another one that I found at Real Mom Kitchen.  It's super easy and really yummy.  Next time I think I would add some diced tomatoes to the pot as well.

Crock Pot Creamy Southwestern Chicken Nachos

1 small bag frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 large frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 16-oz jar medium salsa  (Medium salsa is a must, mild isn’t flavorful enough)
1 8 oz package of cream cheese
tortilla chips
other toppings such as chopped cilantro, diced avocado, diced green onion, sliced olives, etc.

Pour bag of frozen corn in bottom of crock pot. (Can corn can be used in place of the frozen.  Just drain it and put the chicken in first followed by the corn)

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 and mix in cream cheese until melted and creamy.

Serve with tortilla chips and add toppings to individual servings.

Rotisserie Chicken in a Crock Pot

Another family favorite is a good rotisserie chicken. I never knew you could do it in a crock pot until about 6 months ago when my Mother in law showed me the light!  Though chicken absolutely grosses me out right now.  I'm really impressed with how it turned out.

Raw chicken and pregnancy don't mix. That's all I can say about that!  So my sweet hubby prepared it for me.  He is a fabulous cook and does wonders with chicken and turkey.  I can't wait until Thanksgiving! Especially because I won't be prego any more and will actually enjoy it.

He just added things until it "looked" right, which is how both of us like to cook. Though I've had to change my ways for the blogs sake :)  The only down fall to cooking that way is that I don't have exact measurements this time.  I had him tell me about how much he put in, right after he did it, so these will be pretty close. 

You may wonder why you put the foil in the bottom. It's to raise the bird up a little bit so it's not sitting in the fat drippings all night or all day.  Don't worry, it will be plenty moist!  Also, if you want a bird that you can carve and has a beautiful presentation, start checking for doneness about 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.  The longer you cook it, the more it will fall right off the bone.  I had mine on for 9 hours and there is no keeping that bird in one piece!

Rotisserie Chicken in a Crock Pot



2-3 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp chicken bullion (mine is the one with parsley in it) 

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 tsp kosher salt

Pepper to taste

Aluminum foil

Rub Oil into the outside of the bird.  Then rub remaining ingredients (except foil ha ha ha) into the outside of the bird. Get friendly with your little friend. Really massage it into the little guy. Make
Four aluminum balls and set on the bottom of the crock pot, about the size of a lime. Just enough to raise the chicken up about 2 inches.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high 4-5 hours.  The longer you cook it, the more it will fall off the bone.

Malibu Chicken Pizza

My husband has been saying for months now that we should find a way to make the ever delicious Malibu Chicken into a pizza.  We the other night, we did it! I was so impressed with the way it turned out.  I cooked the crust a little too long, so that was a bummer, but other than that... Delish!

If you like Hawaiian style pizza, then you'll love this!  PS. The recipe below was for 1 pizza. The dough recipe can make 2-12 inch pizzas.

Malibu Chicken Pizza

1 recipe for Perfect Pizza Dough

1 cup chicken (about 1 breast)

1-2 Cups Terryaki bast and glaze

Pineapple tidbits

ham

Mozzarella or provolone cheese (shredded)

Cube chicken and saute' in a pan until cooked through.   Add 1/2 cup terryaki sauce and stir.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.  On your pizza dough, spread a desired amount of sauce. (remember your chicken will have a little sauce too) Top with desired amounts of pineapple, ham, chicken and cheese. 

Bake in a 500 degree oven for 15-25 minutes, until crust is golden and cheese is melted.  You can also throw it on a hot grill for 5-15 min.

Tip: Before allowing the dough to rise, you may place it in a plastic zipper bag and freeze. When ready to use, thaw at room temperature, then proceed with instructions

Lettuce Wraps

All of the credit for this recipe goes to my fabulously amazing and talented husband!  He is the most amazing man ever. There is not a doubt in my mind that I chose the right guy to be mine for eternity! I am so grateful everyday for him.  For those who don't know him, you are missing out!  

One thing that I love about him is that he loves to find copy cats recipes of my favorite dishes from restaurants and won't stop until he masters it. This way, it saves money, cause we are making it at home, and I also can have it whenever I want. Even in the middle of the night. 

A few years ago, we went to PF Chang's and got their lettuce wraps.  I have to say, I was hooked.  The nearest restaurant was 30 miles away and lets be honest... they aren't cheap.  He has since made them for me probably a hundred times.   These babies are delicious. 

He also set it up into easy to follow steps.  It may seem overwhelming but just read the instructions carefully and you've got it. He also created this recipe with other ingredients to substitute the alcohol it called for.  Most restaurants use some sort of wine etc. in their Oriental dishes. You'll never find my recipes using alcohol (against popular vote, it doesn't cook out all the way) and I won't even post recipes using caffeine. 

Lettuce Wraps

Prepare this first (and marinade 1 1/2 lbs chicken in it (boneless skinless)

"Marinade"

1/4 Cup cornstarch

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 Cup water

1/4 Cup vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

"Sauce"

2 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce

2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp. Vinegar

4 Tbsp Oyster Sauce

2 Tbsp. Water

2 tsp. Sesame Oil

2 tsp. Sugar

2 tsp. Corn Starch

"Stir Fry Start"

2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil

1 tsp ground ginger

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 green onions (chopped)

"Bulk"

1 small can bamboo shoots (diced)

1 small can Water Chestnuts (diced)

Create Marinade and combine with chicken in a medium bowl. Allow to sit for at least an hour. Prepare the other ingredients in separate bowls Pull the chicken out of the marinade and fry until cooked through.  Remove and dice.   In a large frying pan, on medium high heat, put in the "Stir Fry Start". Simmer for 1 min.  Add "Sauce" bring back to a simmer and add "bulk". Mix well.  Add diced chicken, cook through and serve.  Take 1 head of iceberg lettuce and peel off each leaf taking care not to rip it.  Serve by adding a scoop of chicken mixture into the lettuce bowl. Wrap lettuce around the chicken and scarf.

Tip:  An easier way to get the lettuce apart, is to hold the head of lettuce with both hands, stem side down.  Pound the head of lettuce onto the counter, hitting the stem area.  This will break the stem away from the lettuce and you can rip the core out and separate each leaf.

You can also chill them in ice water in a large bowl.  This will perk up the leaves and make them nice and crisp.



Mango Chicken

When I first came across this recipe, I thought, wow!  I've made it probably 10 times in the last little bit, and I still think WOW! We like to use Mango Peach Salsa because it's sweeter.  You can also make it from scratch using this Mango Salsa that I posted earlier to go with grilled salmon. If you like cillantro, be sure to chop some up and add on top. It adds a great flavor to the dish!

Serve this chicken over Coconut Rice. It's a must.  No really I'm not kidding!!! :)

Mango Chicken



4-5 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups mango salsa (we like Mango Peach)
Cumin to taste
Lemon Pepper to taste

Put chicken breasts in crock pot. Add spices. Cover and cook chicken until tender. Shred chicken on a plate and return to crock pot. Save juices in separate bowl.
Add corn, beans and salsa. More salsa can be added to taste. If mixture seems dry, add some of reserved juices.

Serve over coconut jasmine rice. Garnish with cilantro.

Recipe taken from The Sisters Cafe

Ranch Chicken

Another delicious and easy meal for ya! That's about all I have to say about that.  Enjoy

Ranch Chicken

1 container (16 oz) Sour Cream

1 Packet (3 tbsp) of Ranch Dressing Powder

salt and pepper

Chicken Breasts

Ritz Crackers

Mix ranch, sour cream, salt and pepper together and set aside. Crush about 2 packets of crackers and lay on a plate. Generously spread ranch dip over each side of the chicken breast.  Roll in cracker crumbs.  

 Bake at 350 for 45 min or until chicken is cooked through. 

Make sure to discard any extra ranch dip.  You are dealing with raw chicken after all!

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ok I know I know, it's hot outside, quit with the soups already! But I love soups so much. It's a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies, if you have some picky ones. Soups make life so much easier!  You just throw it in the pot and let is simmer.  This one is even better because its done in the crock pot!  No heating the house!  You can cook it on the stove very easily. But if you have a crock pot... use it.  The flavors marry together so much more, its awesome!

This one is also a huge hit in my family!  Even for my littlest one.  If you do this one on the stove, I would cook the chicken ahead of time.  And simmer it on low for a while to let the flavors meld together.  If you are using a crock pot, just throw every thing in raw!

 Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup



1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can (14.5 Oz) diced tomatoes

1 packet taco seasoning

1 1/2 C water
1 can (8 oz)tomato sauce
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup
2 C milk
2-3 boneless chicken breasts

In crock pot, mix Taco seasoning, water, tomato sauce, soup, and milk. Add chicken, black beans (drained) Corn (drained) and tomatoes. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Take out chicken and shred or dice,(just before serving) then put back and stir it all together. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, and/or tortilla chips.

this recipe comes from Blogger Buffet