Chicken Cheddar Casserole

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I posted.... had a very busy week, and also have had a new (happy) development in my life that's been distracting me a bit.....

Anyway, I just had to post this casserole recipe. I've been making it for years. It's a great one for picky eaters. If you have leftover chicken (or turkey) on hand, this is a great way to use it up. It makes enough for a 9x13 baking dish, but for our small family, I split it into two smaller square casseroles - I bake one for our dinner, and then I freeze the other to have on hand for later. It's a great dish to take to a potluck or to give to a new mom or someone dealing with an illness. I adapted the recipe from the More-With-Less Cookbook, by Doris Janzen Longacre.

Here's what you need:

• 1 box (12 oz.) Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
• 5 Tbsp. butter plus 2 Tbsp. butter, divided
• 5 Tbsp. flour
• 1-1/2 c. chicken broth
• 1-1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3 c. cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, and place in the bottom of the greased baking dish. Add the cooked chicken and and stir into the pasta.

In a medium saucepan, melt the 5 tbsp. of butter over medium-low heat. Note: feel free to add some chopped onion or pepper in at this point, or some sliced mushrooms, if you prefer. Next, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the milk, chicken broth, dry mustard, salt, and pepper.

Turn heat to medium-high. Stirring constantly, cook until the sauce has thickened. Taste-test and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Pour the white sauce over the pasta and chicken, mixing thoroughly so everything is combined. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese, pushing it down into the casserole in places, so you'll have pockets of melty goodness when it bakes.

Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp. of butter and mix into the bread crumbs so they are coated well. Sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs over top of the casserole.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees, for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Serves 8. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION OF THIS RECIPE

Seasoned Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce & an AWARD

It was one of those weekends.... very hectic, too little sleep, and lots of junk food. My daughter went to her first overnight camp and didn't care for the food they served, so she lived off of snack shop (junk) food. My son had a friend sleep over, and I can't even bear to put in writing what they ate! (I will only say beef jerky and Mountain Dew were on the list.) So today I made this healthy chicken dish for dinner. I know - there are plenty of baked chicken recipes out there.... I like this variation because it has FLAVOR.  I don't really care to eat healthy food if it's lacking flavor. The chicken strips are dipped in an egg white and milk mixture with added Dijon mustard and garlic. The bread crumbs that coat the chicken are given an extra kick with paprika and basil. The dipping sauce just adds an extra punch of flavor, and it only takes 3 ingredients to make. This could be a great weeknight meal with some advanced prep work. I served it tonight with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans.

Before I post the recipe, I want to thank Susan from The Weekly Sweet Experiment for giving me the Liebster award. I love Susan's blog, and I hope you'll stop by and visit her. She does wonderful desserts - cookies, cupcakes, candies, cakes, you name it - anything sweet! She does adorable holiday-themed treats too. I'm rather new to the blogging community, and Susan has been one of the most friendly and welcoming bloggers I've come across. Thank you Susan!!

A Liebster Blog Award is given to talented and loved bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

There are a few rules that go with accepting the award:
-Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
-Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
-Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
-Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed.
-Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.

As I said, I'm new to all of this and haven't really been following blogs for very long. I have noticed that some bloggers don't participate in awards, and I completely understand. But I have picked out 5 blogs that I like, and if any of these ladies does not wish to participate, I will certainly not be offended. But at least you'll know your blog is loved....

Neha's blog:  From My Heart
Julie's blog: Julie's Eats and Treats
Dawn's blog: Words of Deliciousness
Mary Kay's blog: Just for Cooking
Balvinder's blog: Gluten-Free Food

There you go.... I hope everyone appreciates being recognized for their awesome blogs : )


Now, back to that recipe....
Seasoned Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Here's what you need for the chicken strips:

• 1 lb. boneless chicken strips (I had about 1-1/2 lbs. and there was enough of everything to coat them.)
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 c. 1% or skim milk
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c. dry bread crumbs (I used the seasoned crumbs.)
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking pan with foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

In a shallow bowl , combine the egg whites, milk, Dijon mustard, and garlic. In another shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, basil, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Dip each chicken strip in the egg mixture, then roll in the bread crumb mixture and coat thoroughly. Place on the baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 18 minutes or until juices run clear.

While the chicken is baking, mix up some Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:

You need just 3 ingredients (plus salt):

• 1/4 c. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 c. local honey
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• salt to taste (optional - maybe just a pinch)

Combine above ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Serve with chicken strips. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION OF THIS RECIPE

Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce with Chicken & Pasta

I love the flavor of roasted red peppers, and I've had my eye on this recipe for a while. I finally got to make it this weekend, and I'm happy to say it will be added to my "favorites" list. Yes, it uses half & half. No, it isn't a low-fat dish, but keep in mind when you order a dish like this in a restaurant, they are typically using heavy cream and lots of butter. I cut back on the butter (the original recipe called for 1/4 cup). And the half & half.... well, you're not ingesting the full 2 cups - after all is reduced, and taking into account the red peppers, you're probably getting about a 1/4 cup of it on your plate, which equals 7 grams of fat. The red peppers are full of vitamins A & C, so maybe that helps justify the splurge - it did for me. : )  This recipe was adapted from allrecipes.com (Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce). Here's what you need:

• 1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red peppers
• 2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1/4 fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Cups half & half
• 1/4 Cup grated Romano cheese (If you don't have Romano, Parmesan will work fine too.)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 boneless chicken breast (about 6 to 8 oz.), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 12 oz. linguine
• salt & pepper to taste

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add the chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Saute chicken for about 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet; set chicken aside on a plate and keep warm.

Next, add to the skillet: 2 Tbsp. olive oil, roasted red peppers, garlic, and basil. Cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes so the flavors blend.

Meanwhile, start your pasta: Cook 12 oz. of linguine according to package directions. After you drain the pasta, toss it lightly with olive oil, transfer it to a large serving bowl. Lay the sauteed chicken pieces on top of the pasta and cover with foil to keep warm until the sauce is finished.

After the red pepper mixture has cooked, very carefully, pour the mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the skillet:

Bring the mixture to a boil, stir in the half & half, and reduce heat. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Stir in the Romano cheese, 1 tsp. kosher salt, and the butter.  Cook and stir until the cheese is melted and the butter is blended in. Taste-test for seasoning. Sprinkle in additional salt if preferred. Pour over pasta and chicken. Serves: 8.

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION OF THIS RECIPE

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Here's another hearty but healthy (AND simple) soup recipe.... perfect for winter. It's not overly spicy like some tortilla soups are.  (If my picky daughter will eat it, I know it's not too spicy - this is her favorite soup.) If you have your cooked chicken ready to go ahead of time, you can get this to the table quickly. The ingredients are probably already in your pantry. I usually make a pot of this after I've made a batch of Home-made Chicken Stock.

Here's what you need:

• 2-1/2 to 3 C. cooked chicken, shredded or cut up
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 4 C. Home-made Chicken Stock; or store-bought broth
• 2 cans (14-1/2 oz.) diced or stewed tomatoes (whichever variety you prefer)
• 1 C. of your favorite salsa
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp. chopped green chilies
• Shredded Monterey Jack cheese (for topping)
• Tortilla chips (for topping)

Melt the butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over low heat.

Meanwhile, put into your blender the canned tomatoes, salsa, cumin, and chilies. Puree until everything is combined and smooth.

Add the minced garlic to the melted butter in the pot and cook on low for 2 minutes.

Next, add the chicken stock, and pureed tomato mixture. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, and let simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes.

Taste-test the broth for salt - depending on which brand/kind of tomatoes you used, you may need to add a tsp. of salt (or more, but keep in mind you'll be adding salty tortilla chips to the soup). Stir in the cooked chicken and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through.

Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla chips... (Break the chips up into the soup; they soften and become the "noodles"). Serves 8.

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION OF THIS RECIPE

This recipe is included at The Country's Cook's "Weekend Potluck". Be sure to stop by and visit - you'll find lots of new recipes from food bloggers all over the country!

Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

If you are bored with the typical grilled chicken sandwich that is deemed "healthy", you have to give this pesto recipe a try. The pesto makes the sandwich! I'll explain this in two parts - the pesto first:

Just 4 ingredients! (plus salt & pepper) Here is what you need:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, undrained
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a food processor (or blender), process the first 5 ingredients until smooth. Stir in cheese and process again until smooth (or the consistency that you prefer). If it's a little too thick, you can add some extra-virgin olive oil. This is how mine looked:

Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Perfect on sandwiches or as an appetizer with crostini or vegetables. Makes about 1-1/4 cups. (Recipe adapted from 400 Best Sandwich Recipes Cookbook, by Alison Lewis)

For the sandwich:

• 4 boneless chicken cutlets (chicken breast halves pounded to about 1/2" thick)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 4 slices Provolone cheese
• 4 Kaiser or hearty hamburger rolls, toasted
• 1 batch of sun-dried tomato pesto

Pre-heat your grill to medium. Drizzle the breast halves with olive oil, and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. I cook my chicken on an indoor George Foreman grill at 375 degrees for 9 minutes. But if you are using an outdoor grill, grill your chicken 5 to 6 minutes each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and the inside is no longer pink. (Keep an eye on it, as it's VERY easy to overcook boneless chicken on an outdoor grill.)

Toast your rolls so they are warm when the chicken is done. Place a grilled chicken cutlet on each of the 4 bottom halves. Top the chicken with 2 Tbsps. of pesto. Top the pesto with a slice of Provolone cheese and the top half of the buns. Makes 4 sandwiches.

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION OF THIS RECIPE