Chicken Parm Bake

Shame on me for not posting this earlier. I don't have any excuses, except that I simply forgot. A few weeks ago I wrote a guest post for Oven Love and shared this recipe, but I never told you about it. Whoops! Please make this and then forgive me.

I thought about it today because I was going to make it for dinner, but I ran out of croutons. The croutons, you see, takes this simple meal to a whole new level. I usually have an extra bag of croutons on hand, because it's my go-to meal when I really don't feel like cooking at night, so you can imagine my disappointment when I had to scrounge up something else for dinner. We're having steak, by the way.

The moral of this story is: the next time you're at the store, pick up two bags of croutons. You'll need a second bag for that one night when you have no idea what's for dinner and really don't feel like cooking.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go buy a couple bags of croutons!

Head over to Oven Love for the recipe and more gabbing from me about how much I love this meal!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I grew up on my tias' green chile chicken enchilada casserole, but I never bothered to ask how they made it; I mean, why learn how to cook it when they'll make it for you? Actually, that's not true. I think I did ask—several times—but their recipe included "some" of this, "a little" of that, followed by a dash, a pinch, and a sprinkling of "those." They all swore it was "really easy to make," which is why they didn't have an actual recipe.

I'm the type of person who needs clear-cut directions. Spell it out for me in detail so I can check, double check, and then have someone else make sure I got it all right, otherwise you'll end up with salt cookies instead of sugar cookies. So a few weeks before I moved from New Mexico to Georgia, my mom and I practiced making green chile chicken enchiladas. It turns out making the casserole really is pretty freaking easy.

I've been making this now for more than two years and I'm proud to say I don't use a recipe for it anymore, which is why it's probably taken me so long to share this with you. I have the basics down, but sometimes I'll throw in a little something extra (it's great with an additional 1 cup of sauteed mushrooms) or play around with ingredients (sometimes I use whatever cheese I have on hand, and I love using leftover Thanksgiving turkey in place of the chicken). The recipe also works great cut in half, which is something I like to do when it's just me at home.

Like most casseroles, this tastes better after it's been out of the oven for a few hours and even better the next day. All the flavors have time to sit, mingle, and get to know each other, resulting in a party in your mouth later. If you do make it ahead of time, just pop it back into the oven for a bit to warm it back up. Serve with Spanish rice, calabacitas (coming this week!), and homemade tortillas!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

by The Tale of Two Kitchens

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 (10 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 batch green chile sauce (or 1-2 cups green chile, pealed and chopped)
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic
8 corn tortillas, quartered
1/4 cup your favorite salsa
12 oz shredded cheese (cheddar or Colby/Monterrey Jack blend)
1/2 onion, chopped (optional, but only if you absolutely, positively HATE onions)

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350F (180c). Lightly spray a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick spray.

In a medium-sized pot on medium-high heat, combine soup, chile, and (cooked) chicken. Add ground pepper, cumin and garlic; mix to combine. Once the mixture starts to boil thickly, take off heat, stir, and set aside.

Submerge quartered tortilla pieces in salsa one at a time and place along the bottom of the casserole dish so the whole thing is covered (it takes around three and a half whole tortillas per layer—it's okay if there are some spaces or if they lay on top of each other). Spread half of chicken mixture over tortillas. Sprinkle half the onions over chicken mixture, then add around a 1/4 of the cheese over the onions. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients ending with the cheese.

Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Let cool, slice, and serve! (It's often not very set when we eat it straight out of the oven, but it still tastes great and will firm up for leftovers!)

Tarragon Chicken Salad

I'm going to be completely honest, I thought I hated tarragon before I even tasted it. It was one of those herbs that just sounded overpowering and unpleasant, so I avoided it whenever I saw it in a recipe.

My suspicions about not liking it where further confirmed when I smelled it for the first time. It was musky, bitter, and smelled like licorice—and I'm not talking about the delicious cherry-flavored vines you get at movie theaters; I mean the black, anise-flavored licorice, which is not my cup of tea.

The first time I eventually tried it was at my friend's house for lunch. I winced and pleaded with her to only add half the amount in the chicken salad in case I ended up actually hated it. Since it was her first time trying it, too, she happily obliged and added less than half than what the recipe called for. When we tasted the salad we both had one of those "AHA!" moments. It was delicious. So fantastic that we didn't just put in the missing half of the herb, but added more.

The scent of tarragon turns out to be absolutely nothing like the actual taste of it when it's mixed with poultry and fish. It completely enhances the flavor of the chicken salad and takes that simple meal to an entirely new level. Mixed with chicken it becomes peppery, sweet, tangy, and completely addicting. It also goes great with tuna salad, and I'm anxious to start using it in other recipes.

Made with a few less ingredients than below (only what I had on hand) and served on Wasa Flatbread with avocado. Yummy.

Tarragon Chicken Salad

adapted from Life with the Cappellano Family

Ingredients 

1 pound cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced

½ cup mayo

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup fresh tarragon

2 celery stalks, diced

¼ cup onions, diced

½ pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

4 oz. red or green grapes, cut in half

½ teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon green chile or jalapenos, diced (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, chill and serve!

(Use this recipe as a starting off point! If you like creamier chicken salad, add more mayo or sour cream. If you want to be a bit healthier, use the low-fat varieties. Skip the onions and tomatoes if you don’t like them, and don’t fret if you’re out of grapes! Use what you have on hand, just don’t forget the tarragon!)   

{Head on over Jessica Lynn Writes for your chance to win a Barilla pasta-sauce pack! Deadline to enter is tomorrow night!}

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Last week we put our house up on the market, which means that we're trying to keep it as clean as possible. If you've ever been in our shoes, then you know how frazzled I feel about keeping our kitchen clean. I love cooking, but I'm not always the cleanest cook. Actually, I'm a really messy cook, which now presents a problem.

One night, when I didn't know what to make for dinner because I wanted to keep things mess free, my husband reminded me about a meal we love that is ridiculously easy to make. This salad is filling, spicy, tangy, and is a meal even guys will sink their teeth into.

I love it, because it's a healthy alternative to devouring hot wings submerged in ranch dressing. My husband likes to skimp on the ingredients (just chicken, lettuce, cheese, and dressing for him), but I like including whatever veggies we have on hand. Consider the following more of a "how-to" instead of an actual recipe. In other words: tweak as you see fit!

Buffalo Chicken Salad

by The Tale of Two Kitchens

Ingredients:
Breaded chicken breast tenderloins
Buffalo wing sauce (Frank's RedHot Buffalo tastes great, but we actually use the store brand)
Lettuce
Blue cheese crumbles (reduced fat tastes just as good!)
Ranch or blue cheese dressing
tomatoes (optional)
green onions (optional)
celery (optional)
avocado (optional)

Directions:
Cook chicken in oven according to directions, flipping once to get both sides crisp. While chicken is cooking, prep salad bowls with lettuce and other ingredients. When chicken is finished cooking, set aside to cool. In a medium sized bowl, pour about 1/4–1/2 cup (to taste) hot wing sauce (you can always add more!). Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in bowl with hot sauce. Toss to coat; place buffalo chicken on top of lettuce. Add desired amount of salad dressing; enjoy.

Shredded Tex-Mex Crock-Pot Chicken

Do you ever have days when you just know you won't be in the mood to make dinner? I come across that feeling often, and luckily, the handy crock-pot comes to my rescue.

I've been saving this recipe for awhile and was happy I finally had a chance to make it. For some reason, crock-pot meals only seem perfect for rainy days, but this recipe is great come rain or shine. The chicken is so tender I hardly had to work at shredding it, and the long cooking time produced an amazing taste. I liked putting the meat back in the crock-pot after shredding it so it could soak up more of the flavorful juice.

To be honest, I made this chicken without even thinking about how I would serve it once dinner rolled around. Then I remembered something my mom used to make all time: tostadas. Tostadas remind me of mini Mexican pizzas, and not only are they ridiculously tasty, but they're easy to make and a great, fun alternative to tacos. I highly suggest making your own tostadas (using the same method as tortilla chips)—they're much stronger and have a better flavor and crunch than premade tostadas.

Shredded Tex-Mex Crock-Pot Chicken

adapted from Good Life Eats

Ingredients:
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup tequila 
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 limes
1/3 cup (packed) cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced


Directions:
In a small bowl combine seasonings: cumin, chili powder, coriander, garlic powder paprika, red pepper flakes and garlic cloves; set aside. Heat oil in a medium sized sauté pan. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add seasoning mixture and sauté two more minutes. Deglaze the pan with tequila and chicken broth, making sure to scrape up any browned bits. Turn off and set aside.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to crock pot. Squeeze lime on top; add cilantro, jalapeno, and pour onion and seasoning mixture over top.

Cook on low for 3-5 hours, or until cooked through (different crock-pots cook at varying heats) and tender. Remove chicken breasts from the crock pot, let cool for a few minutes, shred and return to crock-pot on "warm" setting until ready to serve.

For tostadas: take a fried or baked corn tortilla and spread a thin layer of refried beans on top. Add chicken and build tostada with desired toppings: lettuce, cheese, onions, tomatoes, avocado, etc. We usually love salsa, but the meat was flavorful enough to not need salsa or even sour cream, but top to taste!

40 Cloves and a Chicken

Garlic is the one ingredient you will always see in our kitchen. We usually toss an extra clove or two into whatever recipe we're making (except for sweets, because that would just be strange). A few weeks ago, I was flipping through the March issue of The Food Network Magazine and saw that they were featuring garlic, which made me remember this fantastic meal featuring garlic as the main character.

I enjoyed this for the first time a few years ago at my friend's house in England. It was warm, comforting, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, so I vowed to make it again for my husband. I made this shortly after we got married, but one thing led to another and I got sick and couldn't eat dinner (had nothing to do with the food). My husband loved the meal so much that he ended up eating about 75% of the garlic. Now, like I said, I enjoy garlic more than the average Joe, but when you're living with a person who just inhaled roughly 30 pieces of garlic, things can get a bit interesting. Garlic was literally seeping out of his pores for days. We joke about it now, but it was pretty difficult to be near him. Long story short, share this meal with others and try limiting your garlic intake to around 10-15(ish) cloves each; your partner will thank you, trust me!

With only five ingredients, this recipe mouthwatering delicious...if you like garlic.  And if you don't like garlic, I urge you to give it a second (or third, or fifth, or tenth) chance. Yes, it calls for 40 cloves of garlic, but with such a long cooking time, the garlic becomes creamy, fragrant, and sweet instead of pungent, spicy, and raw. And the chicken—oh, the chicken—it's so juicy that it literally falls off the bone. Don't even get me started on how great the leftovers taste.

Serve this with some homemade French bread, a glass of wine, and good company!

40 Cloves and a Chicken

from Alton Brown's Good Eats: The Early Years

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (broiler/fryer) cut into 8 pieces
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme 
• 40 peeled cloves garlic
• Salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. coat chicken pieces on all sides with 2 tablespoons of oil.

In a 12-inch, straight-sided oven safe saute pan* over high heat, cook the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Remove pan from heat; add remaining 1/2 cup oil, thyme, and garlic cloves. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove pan from oven; set aside for 15 minutes with the lid on. Serve family style with plenty of bread to spread the softened, fragrant garlic on.

*Since the pan I have isn't oven safe, I brown my chicken in a pan, then transfer it to a small casserole dish before baking in the oven

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

This dish is super easy and incredibly yummy. Honestly you could add whatever you want to this dish and it would be amazing. It's sturdy enough to stand alone with just the pasta and sauce or could easily transition into a giant casserole with meat and veggies. I originally started making Pioneer Woman's Baked Lemon Pasta but every time I opened the fridge I found something else I wanted to add. I truly can't remember a time I followed a recipe word for word- it's a problem I know. Her recipe is perfect left alone, I just have a tendency to make things my own and really enjoyed it. I hope you do too!!

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

Ingredients:
1lb Spaghetti (or your favorite noodle)
1 large or 2 small Lemons
Zest of 1 Lemon
4 cloves of Garlic
3 Tbsp Butter
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup low fat Sour Cream
4 0z low fat Cream Cheese
Salt to taste
1 pkg Chicken Sausage (I used roasted garlic and herb)
2 cups Broccoli (steamed or blanched)
4 Green Onions- chopped
Parmesan- as desired

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and heat olive oil in a skillet over low heat. When the butter is melted add minced garlic and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the skillet. Stir in sour cream and cream cheese. Add zest and salt. Turn off heat. Add cooked pasta, steamed broccoli, and green onion to skillet and toss to coat. Add cooked sausage now or after baked. Transfer to an oven safe dish, cover with foil and bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 or so minutes- don't let the pasta dry out. Remove from the oven and top with parmesan cheese and more lemon juice.