Chicken & Black Bean Casserole

This recipe comes from the web site of gardenmatter.com/

Ingredients

• 1 lg onion chopped
• 1 lg green pepper chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 (15 oz) bottle of chunky salsa
• 1 lg can (28 oz.) can of diced tomatoes
• 1 T. cumin
• 1 t salt
• 1 t black pepper
• 1 t red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 cans of black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 package 8-10 count flour tortillas
• 4 cups shredded Mexican cheese

Instructions

1. Saute onion, green pepper and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add cumin, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, beans, salsa, tomatoes and chicken. Simmer on medium to low heat for 10 minutes.
2. Spoon some of this mixture into a 13 x 9 baking pan or two 8x8 pans.
3. Cut the tortillas in half.
4. Line the pan with the tortillas by placing the flat cut side against the sides allowing the center to overlap.
5. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the cheese on top of the tortilla layer.
6. Spoon half of the chicken and bean mixture on top.
7. Place another layer of tortillas on next followed by cheese and the remaining chicken & beans.
8. Finish with the remaining cheese.
9. Cover with foil and cook for 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
10. Serve with chopped lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.

Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole

This recipe comes from  Lisa at Cook Lisa Cook.  Blog address: http://cooklisacook.blogspot.ca  These were very good.  I made them for a get together we had with friends a couple of weeks ago and they were devoured.  I did not use all the hot sauce called for.  In fact I only used 2 Tablespoons.

Ingredients
 
2 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8-10 Medium Potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I left the skin on)
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbs Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbs Paprika
2 Tbs Garlic Powder

Topping

2 cups Fiesta Cheese
1 cup Crumbled Bacon
1 cup Diced Green Onion

Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees(this is not a typo, 500 is correct)  In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and hot sauce.  Add cubed potatoes and stir to coat.  carefully scoop the potatoes into a spray coated 9x13 baking dish, leaving behind as much oil/sauce mixture as possible.  Bake potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until cooked through and crispy and brown on the outside.  While the potatoes are cooking, add the cubed chicken to the bowl of left over oil/sauce mix.  Stir to coat.  Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the oven temp to 400 degrees.  Top the cooked potatoes with the raw marinated chicken.  In a separate bowl mix cheese, bacon and onions and top the chicken with the cheese mix.  Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is bubbly and delicious.  Serve with extra hot sauce and ranch dressing.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Most of the recipes on my blog are from family or are ones I find on the internet and post to my Pintrest site to try at a later date.  If I post them here I have tried them and my family says they are keepers.  I made these for dinner the other night when the kids were her.  Even my four year old grandson ate one.  The recipe comes from the following blog    http://www.melskitchencafe.com/

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)

1/2 red or green pepper, diced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

juice of 1 lime

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar)

Sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center - it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don't fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.

Southwest Chicken Chili Mac

Pasta is a favorite around here.  It cooks up quickly and my grandson eats it.  This good recipe came from a Pinterest  post.  It originated with a blog called Picky Palate. http://picky-palate.com/2011/08/25/southwest-chicken-chili-mac-skillet-style/  This another keeper in the family.

Ingredients

8 ounces wagon wheel pasta noodles

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup finely chopped white onion
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet peppers (or bell peppers)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
1o ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes, mild
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup corn, fresh or canned
1/2 cup white beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dry Ranch seasoning from packet
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cool water to stop cooking. Heat oil in 9 inch deep cast iron skillet. Add onions and peppers, cook stirring until softened about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook stirring for 1 minute. Add chicken, tomatoes, broth, corn, beans, 1 cup wagon wheel pasta, chili powder, cumin, Ranch seasoning and cilantro. Stir until well combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

This recipe and picture came from the recipe collection at the Better Homes and Gardens web site.  It is very good and again the family said this is a keeper.

Ingredients

1 12 ounce package dried jumbo shell macaroni
3 large green and/or red sweet peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped red onion
1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 16 ounce can refried beans
1/2 1 1/4 ounce package taco seasoning mix (3 Tbsp.)
2 10 ounce can enchilada sauce
1 8 ounce shredded Mexican-style four-cheese blend
1 cup sliced green onions
2 cups nacho cheese-flavored tortilla chips, crushed (2 oz.)
Avocado dip and/or sour cream

 
Directions
 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse; drain and set aside.

2. In skillet cook sweet peppers, onion, jalapeno, and 1/4 tsp. salt in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken, beans, taco seasoning mix, and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup each of the cheese and green onions.

3. Divide filling among shells. Spread 1 cup of the remaining enchilada sauce in 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Arrange shells atop sauce. Drizzle with remaining enchilada sauce.

4. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chips and remaining green onions. Serve with avocado dip and/or sour cream. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Crockpot Chicken and Noodle Soup

The recipe for this soup and the picture come from the following site:
http://www.creativelydomestic.com/2010/10/guest-post-crockpot-chicken-and-noodle.html
It is well worth checking out.

I made this soup for my family tonight.  They are surfing from colds and nothing is better than Chicken Noodle Soup.  They all loved it.  My wife said next time she would like to have rice instead of noodles though.  And I did add frozen peas.  This one is on the keep list.


Ingredients

5 cups of chicken broth (boxed or can is fine)
One 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup onions, chopped fine
1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
1/2 cup carrots, chopped fine
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
One 15 oz can of whole kernel corn, drained
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup Egg noodles
2 cups cooked chicken chopped or 2 cans canned cooked chicken

Directions

Add everything but the noodles and cooked chicken to the crock pot on Low for 5-6 hours, the last hour turn on High, and add noodles and chicken. Remember, if you do this in the morning, and don’t have a timer on your crock pot, use a lamp timer, they work wonderful.

Chicken & Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

I made this for dinner recently and my wife said this is a keeper.  It comes from: http://www.sweettreatsmore.com  She has some great recipes on this blog.  There are several more I want to try.







Igedients:

2 cups diced or shredded chicken breast meat (or for extra lazy days use a rotisserie chicken)½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chili peppers, drained
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 (8 oz) container sour cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and spray with vegetable cooking spray. Sauté chicken with cumin and coriander until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the cilantro, black beans, and green chili peppers.

Spread half of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of an 11x7 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place 4 tortillas over the sauce, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, and sprinkle with half of the cheese and half of the sour cream.

Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the cheese, and make another layer of tortillas. Layer the remaining chicken mixture over the tortillas.

Cover dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove the cover, and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and dot with sour cream. Continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Creamy Tortilla Soup

This recipe is from my wife's cousin.  It is very good.

Ingredients

2 cans (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with chilies
2 cans (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 can refried beans
1 cup canned corn- (I put in the whole can)
2-3 cups cooked chicken shredded or cubed
cilantro, sour cream, Monterey Jack Cheese

Directions

Combine tomatoes and broth. Stir in beans and corn. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add Chicken and heat through- Top with sour cream, cilantro, cheese, chips

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe came from: http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/. I made it last night and my wife loved it. My daughter stopped by today and had two bowls of it. I will definitely make this again.  I added two cans of black beans to it.

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. oil
1 onion, chopped
½ tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 (14.5oz) can chicken broth
2 cans corn (drained)
1/2 tsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice(or both!)
1-2 c. salsa
1 c. tortilla chips
½ c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 avocado

Directions:
 
In large pot boil chicken for about 25 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chicken, cool, and shred. In a large skillet cook onion, garlic in the oil and add cumin. Cook until onions become clear. Drain water from the pot you cooked the chicken in add chicken broth and onion & garlic mixture. Add shredded chicken,corn, chili powder, lemon (or lime) juice and salsa to the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-40 min. Top with corn chips, cheese, avocado, and a little sour cream.

Simmered Tuscan Chicken

This recipe comes from my mother-in-law.  She was a great cook.  I inherited her recipe box and recipe book when she passed away.  What a treasure.

Ingredients

1 lb skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbls olive oil
4 med potatoes, cut into 1/2 in cubes
1 med red bell pepper, diced
1 lb fresh or frozen cut green beans
1 jar (27 oz) Ragu Old World Style pasta sauce
1 tsp diced basil
Salt
Pepper

Directions

In a dutch oven, saute chicken and garlic in olive oil until chicken is lightly browned.  Add potatoes and red peppers, continue to cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the sauce, basil and green beans.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer about 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked and potatoes are tender.

Chicken Salad

This recipe comes from a friend ours by the name of Sandy Lawrence. 

Ingredients

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breasts
2 cups cooked rice
¾ cup chopped celery
Chopped green onion to taste
1 cup seedless grapes
½ cup toasted silvered almonds
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon sugar

Directions
 
Mix thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste.


In a separate bowl mix ½-3/4 cup mayonnaise with enough milk to make soupy mixture. Mix with salad.

Add 1 can mandarin oranges. Toss gently

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is a copy cat recipe of the Chicken Enchilada Soup served at Chili's.  The recipe is from the internet.  Vickie loves Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup.  In fact when she worked in Salt Lkae city and worked overtime on Friday nights I would stop and get her a bowl of this soup for dinner.  One Friday night in December I went dressed as Santa after working Santa's Castle in the Ogden City Christmas village and they gave me a free bag of chips with salsa.  Enjoy.

Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup masa harina
3 cups water, divided
1 cup enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, cook chicken breasts in oil until well browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.  Cook onion and garlic in remaining oil until onions are translucent. Pour in chicken broth. 
In a bowl, whisk together masa harina and 2 cups water until well blended. Pour into pot with remaining 1 cup water, enchilada sauce, Cheddar, salt, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil. 
Shred cooked chicken and add it to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until thickened.
 
Top with sour cream, crisp tortilla strips, green onions, etc.