Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This past weekend we had stopped at BJs and the boneless skinless chicken was $1.89 a pound.  Now to find something to make with it since the package was pretty big.

Found a recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu but I didn't have the time for that so I adapted it for a 9x13 pan and only an hour of time.

The original recipe was on allrecipes.com.  The link is here.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Deli ham slices
• Swiss cheese slices
• 1 can of cream of chicken
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 package of Stove Top chicken stuffing
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup of butter (melted)

Directions:

Take the chicken and cut off the fat and chop into cubes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan.

Place the chicken on the bottom of the pan.

Mix the milk and soup in a bowl and pour evenly over the chicken.  Layer the ham.  Then the swiss cheese.

Sprinkle the stuffing on top and drizzle the melted butter.  I added a few chunks of butter for good measure.

Cover and bake for 50 mins.  At this point it looked about done but the stuffing on top was hard in spots because there wasn't enough moisture. 

So I sprinkled the mozzarella cheese on top and baked another 5-10 minuutes. 

 

Still seemed hard so I drizzled a tiny bit of water on it.  That seemed to do the trick.  I cut into chunks and served.

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken on Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce

 Saw this recipe on the blog Homemade by Holman.  The link to the orginal recipe is here.

 

I did this recipe when I was camping also because I was into "things on sticks" which made for easy cleanup since every dish we dirtied up had to be washed by hand.

 

I loved this chicken and sauce recipe.  I'd definitely make it again.

 

Ingredients:

 

• 4-6 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup of apricot reserves
• 4 tbsp of soy sauce
• 3 cloves of garlic (I used minced garlic from the jar..sorry garlic press on camping wasn't something I was thinking of)
• 2 tsp ground mustard (forgot the ground mustard so I used yellow mustard)
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• Juice of 1 lime (again no juicer while camping...I used the little squeezy lime juice from the produce aisle)
• Dash of salt and pepper

Directions:

 

Cut the fat off the chicken and slice into strips that you can thread onto a wooden skewer.  Soak the wooden skewers in water so they don't burn while cooking.

 

 

Grab a large ziplock bag.  Dump in the sliced chicken.  Add 1/4 cup preserves, 2 tbsp soy sauce, garlic, mustard, oil, and vinegar into the bag.  Smoosh it all around so the chicken is coated.  Refridgerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the grill to a low temp.

Thread chicken onto wooden skewers and cook all the way through.

For the peanut dipping sauce.  I did bring the little mini cuisinart food processor which I absolutely love.

Put the peanut butter, remaining apricot preserves, remaining soy sauce, lime juice and crushed red pepper flakes in the food processor.  I pulsed it until it was smooth.

Serve and enjoy!

7UP Grilled Chicken

I saw this recipe on food.com and thought it was interesting.  7UP in a chicken marinade...hmmmm...I was curious.  The original recipe is here.

I modified it since soy sauce always seems to make it too salty for my taste.

The results were a grilled chicken that was moist and yummy.  It didn't dry out on the grill like a lot of chicken breasts do when cooked.

 

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces of boneless skinless chicken
• 1 can of 7UP or other lemon-lime beverage
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup of soy sauce (original called for 1/2 cup but I didn't want all the saltiness)
• 1/2 cup of canola oil

Directions:

Preheat grill.

Throw all the ingredients and chicken into a bag and marinate for 30-60 minutes (or longer).

  

Throw the chicken on the grill and grill until cooked without any pink inside.

 

 

Grilled Italian Chicken Skewers

While we were camping I was loving grilling things on sticks.  I used a tried and true recipe.  Its so simple and tastes great.

I've done these many times for tailgate.  I just marinate everything ahead of time and throw it on the grill when we get there.  Super easy!

Ingredients:

• Bottle of Italian dressing
• 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into strips)
• Wooden Skewers

Directions:

2-3 hours before grilling time.  Take the chicken strips and marinate them in the Italian dressing.

Preheat the grill

Thread chicken on to wooden skewers.  It will help if you soak the skewers in water for a bit before grilling so they don't burn.

Cook on grill until done.

**NOTE:  The picture shows the Peanut Dipping Sauce for another recipe.  The Italian skewers are the ones at the top of the picture on the right. **

Sonomo Chicken Salad

Was looking for a good recipe to bring for lunch on a bed of lettuce.  Found the recipe on the Cooking Classy blog and modified slightly.  The orginal recipe is here.

This turned out so good.  I loved it and will be making it again and again!

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken that I got from ShopRite for $3.99)
• 1 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks) -- I used the food processor to cut it extra fine
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans -- Used the food processor again for this
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, such as Craisins, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese

Dressing:

• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

  

Directions:

Shred chicken from the bone and place in a bowl.

I mixed the pecans and celery from the food processor in first.  Then added the Craisins.

Finally I took all the ingredients for the dressing and mixed everything together in the bowl.  I served over a bed of lettuce for a delish lunch!

Copycat Chick-Fil-A Chicken Nuggets

Found this recipe on Six Sisters Blog here.

These tasted great and just like Chick-Fil-A.  I ate the entire tray of nuggets.  At some point I think I actually wrestled it off my 5 year old daughter too.  I'm going to counseling :-)

Anyways...they were very delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 lg egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 lb. skinless and boneless chicken breasts
• 1-1/4 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• canola oil for frying (I used extra virgin olive oil because its what I had)

Directions:

In a large bowl whisk milk and egg together.  Place chicken on counter and cut into cubed bite size pieces; trim any fat that you may see

Put the chicken in the milk mixture and mix so that all is coated and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (I did for an hour because I had to run errands and it turned out fine)

In another large bowl combine the dry ingredients listed above and stir
In cast iron pot or sauce pan pour in oil so that its at least an inch deep on med/high heat  (I did 1/2 inch in a smaller frying pan because my cubes were tiny and it turned out)

Remove the chicken from refrigerator and place about a handful of pieces in milk mixture and then into the flour mixture

Make sure all the chicken is coated with the flour and then place into the hot oil
Cook each side for at least 2-3 minutes or until golden brown (You want to make sure that chicken is no longer pink so you can cut one piece to test it out)

Place the chicken on some paper towels to soak up any oil

Repeat the same steps with the rest of the chicken and serve

French Onion Burgers

This is something I've been making for a long time and its so yummy to turn an ordinary burger into something special.  Remember if you don't like onions...probably not a good idea to try this one :-)

Ingredients:

• 1lb of 95% lean ground beef (I only use lean since I'm grossed out by meat fat)
• 1 packet of french onion soup mix
• American Cheese

Directions:

Preheat grill.

Mix together meat and soup mix. 

Shape into hamburgers.

Grill until done to your liking.  I put cheese on it.  You know whats funny is that my husband hates these burgers since he doesn't like onion so I have to make the cheese into a different pattern on the top so he knows these are the "poison" burgers.  That's why the cheese is criss crossed on the pictures.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Kabobs

Found this recipe here at Six Sisters Stuff blog.

First let me just say that I'm not a big kabob fan.  Why you might ask...because its a pain in the ass to keep the meat on the stick and to turn it on the grill without frying the hairs off my hand.

But this recipe looked so good I couldn't turn down an attempt at it.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 1 package of bacon (cut into 3rds)

Directions:

In a large bowl...mix together the soy cause, vinegar, honey and oil.  Put the chunks of chicken in and stir to coat them.

Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for an hour or more.

Preheat the grill.

Wrap each chunk of chicken in bacon and slid on the skewer.  Brush with the leftover mixture from the bowl.

Put the kabobs on the grill and cook about 15-20 minutes until they are cooked and the juice is clear.  Make sure you turn them over occasionally.

Oh and it goes without saying but make sure you take them off the skewers before eating.  :-)

Zucchini Lasagna

Decided to try substituting the lasagna noodles for zucchini.  Turned out "ok".  Little too runny for me.  If I did it over again I would cook the zucchini a litte first on its own to soften it and get some moisture out. 

Ingredients:

• Zucchini (cut into slices)
• Cottage Cheese (a large tub...I used large curd)
• 1 egg
• 2 small bags of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Garlic salt
• 2 small jars of Ragu super chunky mushroom sauce

Directions:

In a large bowl combine egg, 1 bag of cheese, cottage cheese, garlic salt, and italian seasoning.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 9x13 pan.  Put down a layer of sauce on the bottom.  Layer with slices of zucchini.

Top zucchini layer with layer of the cottage cheese mix. 

Top cottage cheese layer with light layer of sauce.

Repeat 2 more times.

Top the last zucchini layer with sauce and the 2nd bag of mozz. cheese.

Bake for 60 mins.  Let stand 15 mins before serving.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

So I had some chicken breasts that needed to be used soon so I did this recipe.  Turned out ok.  I shouldn't have cooked that long though because I was out and didn't get back in the recommended time.  Oh well...next time...still good even an hour over the recommended cook time.

The original recipe is from A Year of Slow Cooking blog.  The link is here.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4 or one thigh per family member)
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (La Choy or Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup honey

Directions:

 

Use a 4-quart slow cooker (if using a 6-quart, this will cook faster. Check after 3 hours on high, 5 hours on low).
Put the chicken into your cooker. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly over the top. -- Yeah I just poured it in and didn't combine first. 
Cook on low for 6 hours

Zucchini Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

My mom had made this dish awhile back (minus the zucchini) and I loved it.  She got the recipe from the Whole Living website.  The original link is here.

I modified the original recipe to add the zucchini in so because it made it so moist I added another 2 tbsp of bread crumbs.  The sauce and the meatballs were delicious. 

The spaghetti squash came out mushy.  I don't know if its because I cooked too long...too short...the squash was too ripe...not ripe enough.  Who knows.  Spaghetti Squash = 1 .... Me = 0.  It kicked my butt.  So I just ended up eating the mixture by itself.

I'll try again to see if I can redeem myself or if someone can tell me the error of my ways.

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash (about 3 pounds) -- I used 2 smaller ones...that's all the grocery store had
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (3 tablespoons)
•  3 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs

• 8 ounces lean ground turkey  -- I used 1lb
• 8 ounces mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, and oyster, cut 1/4 inch thick (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 4 ounces baby spinach (about 5 cups), washed well
• 1 cup of grated zucchini

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season cut sides of squash with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake, cut sides down, on a baking sheet until tender, about 45 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Scrape flesh into strands using a fork. Let drain, covered to keep warm, in a colander set over a bowl.  --- I had to bake the squash whole because I couldn't cut it.  Maybe this was my mistake?
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring, until soft but not brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add oregano; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Divide mixture between 2 bowls.
3. Stir 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese into 1 bowl of onion-garlic mixture. Mix in breadcrumbs, turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper using your hands. Form mixture into 12 balls.
4. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown meatballs, turning, 4 to 6 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add remaining teaspoon oil to skillet. Cook mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, adding a few tablespoons water if skillet browns too quickly, until soft and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add remaining bowl of onion-garlic mixture, meatballs, and stock; bring to gentle simmer. Cook, partially covered, until meatballs are cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook until just wilted, about 1 minute.
5. Divide squash and meatball mixture into 4 servings. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Zucchini Pizza Boats

Around this time of year I'm always faced with the issues of zucchini burn out.  I've made loaves of zucchini bread.  I've grilled zucchini on the grill.  I've used zucchini for stir fry.  I'm just getting tired of the lame ass options for zucchini prep that I'd always gone to.  So I decided to do an "Ode to Zucchini" and experiment a little.

On the Tasty Kitchen website I found an interesting little recipe for "Zucchini Pizza".  It looked intriguiing and almost like I wouldn't feel guilty for gobbling down an entire tray in one sitting of this yummy creation.  Score!

And it lived up to all the hype and then some!

The link to the original recipe is here.

Ingredients:

• One zucchini (cut into small strips lengthwise)
• olive oil for drizzling
• Salt
• Pepper
• Spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu traditional...why?  because it was on sale)
• Shredded Mozzarella cheese
• Toppings (I used sliced mushrooms and pepperoni)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Cut off ends of zucchini and slice lengthwise into several pieces. Place on a baking sheet or glass dish. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Lay flat on the pan. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of sauce over each zucchini slice until the entire slice is covered. Sprinkle with approximately 1 to 2 tablespoons of mozzarella. Top with any toppings you like or none at all. Bake for 15 minutes, until brown and bubbly.