aunt jan's White Bean & Chicken Hash

My aunt jan used to make this for us when we'd visit her house way back when we were tiny kids.

What's funny is that her own kids don't remember it, but it's the ONLY meal I remember eating at her house.

Anyway, the other day I just had the biggest craving for it, so I made some phone calls and got the recipe.

We made it last night and it was just as I remembered it:

SCRUMPTIOUS.

aunt jan's

White Bean & Chicken Hash

2 cans of chicken in water undrained

1 can white navy beans undrained

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp pepper

3 Tbsp salsa (or more)

Heat all the ingredients together (with juices from canned ingredients) in a saucepan until boiling.

Let simmer about 10-15 minutes to thicken up

Serve hot with tortilla chips

*You can sprinkle cheese over the top (pepperjack is best) if you want

Super easy, super quick, super delicious.

My hubby fell in love with the meal instantly!

That's always a good sign.

Creamy Chicken Calzone-ish dish

So, this dish is inspired by Tamara who has a meal that includes bread,chicken, cream cheese, and a sauce. But her recipe calls for a few things that hurt my tummy (dang lactose intolerance!), so I made up something that was somewhere in the ballpark of her meal.

(Except it looks and tastes much different.)

So, here it is:

A Creamy Chicken Calzone-ish Dish

Start by making a basic bread dough. I use half white and half wheat flour just so its a little more fibrous and heart healthy.

Cut the dough in half and let one half rise into rolls or bread or whatever you want.

Roll the other half of the dough into a flat, almost cinnamon roll/pizza crust shape. Slice downward diagonal slices coming from both sides leaving about a 6 inch strip of unsliced dough in the middle where your creamy chicken mix will go. You'll be braiding the connected sliced strips over the middle in a minute. Does that make sense?

Next, gather these ingredients and blend them altogether by hand or by mixer

(While the oven is preheating to 350 degrees):

1 big head of broccoli Florettes (chopped up into tiny pieces)

3 medium carrots (grated)

1 bunch green onions (sliced into small pieces)

1-2 cans of shredded chicken (drained) or 1-2 shredded chicken breasts

1 (8 oz) brick of cream cheese (I use Neuftachel cheese since its lower in fat/calories/lactose)

about 1 tsp salt

about 1 tsp pepper

about 1 Tbsp garlic powder

about 3 Tbsp parsley

Spoon the creamy chicken mixture onto your bread dough and fold the sliced parts over the chicken as if you're braiding hair until the whole chicken mixture is covered.

Brush butter over the top, sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley over the top of it, and bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

While it is cooking, make a sauce.

Here's what I did--and it was scrumptious:

In a small sauce pan combine and boil:

2 cubes of chicken bouillon

1 1/2 cups water

Add a rue of 1 Tbsp butter, 1/2 cup cold water + 1/2 cup flour mixed

Add 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp mustard powder

Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low to thicken sauce

Serve the sauce over the baked chicken-bread thing :)

Yum.

My boys and hubby love love loved it!

Let me know what you think!?

P.S. Don't forget to bake the leftover bread dough...:)

Stuffed Chicken with Chipotle Sauce

Here, I took 4 chicken breasts and filleted them to open (but still connected). We then pounded them flat, sprinkled salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley in them, filled them with conventional stuffing (chicken flavored + a handful of craisens + salt, pepper, and garlic), closed them up, and tied them closed with floss.

Then I poured costco's raspberry Chipotle sauce on them and baked them for 10 minutes at 450. I then flipped them over, poured more sauce on them, and baked them for another 10 minutes. I repeated this process two more times before serving them.

Upon serving them, I doused them with lemon juice and a dash of salt.

They were pretty yummy and super easy to make!

Easy Chicken Parmesana

(image off google images)

As with most recipes I post here, I couldn't find a recipe that I loved anywhere, so I kind of made up my own for what I was hoping for. This seemed to be a new favorite for the fam. Yay. It is so simple, I'm almost embarrassed. :)

2 Chicken breasts thawed and cut into fillet halves or thirds (each breast)

2 eggs + 1/3 cup water (beated together in their own bowl)

1 1/2 cups italian bread crumbs

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 can of spaghetti sauce

Spaghetti noodles

Set the oven to BROIL

Soak the cut chicken breasts in the egg mixture while you mix the spices with bread crumbs

Take the soaked chicken breasts and pat the bread crumb mix all over the breast

Bake under the broiler for 1o minutes and then turn the breasts over--bake for another 10 minutes

Take the breasts out and dip them again (with crumbs still on) in the egg wash and then pat more crumbs over each breast until all the egg mixture and bread crumbs are used up over all the chicken pieces.

Bake again for 10 minutes on one side and then 10 minutes on the other.

Meanwhile, after the second coating of bread crumbs, start your boiling water and prepare to boil your pasta. Also heat your spaghetti sauce.

Check to see if the chicken is done and when it is done (along with the sauce and pasta), call everyone to the table.

Place the chicken on the pasta and then sauce over the chicken......Sprinkle parmesan cheese or mozzerella cheese over the sauce if desired......serve with veggies, salad, bread, whatever. Its delicious! Even the next day!

Enjoy!

Spicy Cinnamon Curry Chicken

image off google images

Another chicken dish from me today. When the hubby likes chicken, you have to find all kinds of ways to prepare it.

So that's what I do.

This recipe is one I found and tweaked a little.

It's got a bite to it, but overall, we thought it was a keeper.

Not to mention, it makes your house smell INCREDIBLE!

2 chicken breasts halved or chopped in pieces

2 Tbsp oil

Salt and Pepper

*Season chicken breasts and salt with pepper and cook them in a pan in the heated oil until mostly done--then remove from pan*

1 onion chopped

1 green pepper chopped

2 carrots sliced in diagonal pieces

1-2 cups broccoli

1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cumin powder

3 tsp curry powder

3 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup milk/cream

*Add veggies, spices, and half of the chicken broth to the pan and simmer until veggies are soft--about 15 minutes--stirring regularly. Add chicken breasts and remaining chicken broth and simmer to finish cooking chicken--about another 15 minutes. Just before serving add the milk/cream to cool the flavor and thicken the sauce*

Serve with rice

This dish is super spicy, so also serve with plenty of milk or water! :)

Citrus Basil Chicken or Fish

(picture from google images)

I love to cook with basil.

I love to cook with citrus.

Especially Lemons and Limes.

So, standing over my Basil plant the other day, I decided I needed basil and citrus for dinner.

Here's what I came up with:

2 chicken breasts sliced in half (like fillets) or two fish fillets

About 2 Tbsp honey or Agave Nectar (which is much like honey)

Juice from 2 lemons or 2 limes (I tried both at separate meals...both great!)

About 8-10 FRESH Basil leaves

Salt & Pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix together until well coated

Pour all ingredients into a tinfoil lined pan

Place under BROILER in the oven for 3 sets of 10-12 minutes--

--after each set turn the chicken/fish over and baste with juices

Serve with a fresh salad, steamed veggies, rice, fresh rolls, whatever.

Its delicious and a new favorite at our house!

Chicken and Salsa Tortilla Soup

Makes 4 servings
Start to finish: 25min.

1 3/4 c water
14oz chicken broth
1/2lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut in bite size pieces
1-2 tsp chili powder
11oz corn w/ sweet peppers, drained
1c chunky salsa
3c baked/fried tortilla chips
2 oz Monterey Jack cheese w/ jalapeno peppers, shredded
(I added garbanzo beans because I had some in the fridge that needed to be used.  I think any kind of cooked bean could be added.)


In large saucepan combine water, broth, chicken, and chili powder.
Bring to boil, reduce heat.
Cover and simmer 8 min. and until the chicken is cooked.
Add corn.  Simmer uncovered 5min more.
Stir in salsa, heat through.

Serve w/ chips and cheese on top.  Also, goes great with corn bread.  (Fix up a 15oz package of corn bread miz by stirring in a drained 4oz can of diced green chili  peppers before spreading in the pan.  Sprinkle paprika on it and bake as directed.  Serve with honey butter.)

http://hostedmedia.reimanpub.com/TOH/Images/Photos/37/exps23698_TH1194743D8A.jpg

Chicken Croissant Sandwich Filling

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (estimate about 2 people= 1 breast)

Parboil chicken  in 2-3 inches of water 15-20min, flipping half way through.  In the water, along with the chicken add:
1 sliced green onion
2tsp garlic salt
1/4 c lemon juice

Drain the water out.  Allow chicken mixture to cool then shred chicken.

Then mix in:
2c grapes cut in half
Mayonaise to taste (start w/ 1/2c then add more if needed.)
1c. chopped celery
1c crushed pineapple, well drained
2-3 tsp lemon juice (or drained pineapple juice)
1-2 tsp garlic salt, to taste

Spread over croissants and voila!  Great for showers, parties, a lite summer dinner, etc.

Baked Chicken Breasts

2-3 whole chicken breasts, halved

2 Tb butter

10 3/4oz cream of chicken soup

1/2c dry sherry

1tsp driend tarragon, rosemary, or both

1tsp worcestershire sauce

1/4tsp garlic powder
4pz can mushrooms, drained

Place chicken breats in slow cooker.
In saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. 
Heat until smooth and hot. 
Pour over chicken.
Cover.  Cook on low 8-10hrs.
(The sauce makes an excellent gravy over mashed potatoes.)

Pecan Chicken

Oh my lands! I got this recipe from our ward cooking group - it is a recipe by Treesha Rawcliffe who was a pastry chef at Magleby's restraunt. Usually I don't like what I cook the night I cook it because I saw what went in it, however I gobbled this up. Not as healthy as I'd like but very tasty.

Pecan Chicken
1 c. finely chopped pecans
1 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. butter, melted
6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Pecan Sauce
1/2 c. dijon mustard
1/2 c. brown sugar
6 tbls chicken stock
4 tbls soy sauce (I use sodium reduced one)
2 tbls worcestershire sauce
3/4 c. cold butter cut into cubes
1/2 c. sliced green onions

Stir together the pecans, bread crumbs, and 2 tbls of the melted butter. Spread the mixture on a large plate. Press the chicken into mixture to coat on both sides. Heat remaining butter in a large skillet over medium hea. Place chicken in pan and heat on both sides until browned and meat cooked all the way through - about 10 minutes per side.

In a small saucepan, wisk together dijon mustard, brown sugar, chicken stock, soy sauce, and worcestershire sauce until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat ten remove from burner and wisk in the butter one piece at a time. Do not return to heat.

Arrange chicken on plate, pour sauce over, and garnish with green onions.

The sauce is amazing - probably because of how much butter there is - I only put in half of what was called for (which is the amount I put above).

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

(This was one of the soups at Turin's birthday party)

1 whole chicken

1 whole celery bunch, diced

2-3lbs large carrots, diced

1 small onion, diced

Seasonings (add the following seasonings to 12 cups of water):

2 tsp. Garlic pepper

½ tsp. basil

1 tsp. celery flakes

1 tsp. Lawry’s salt

¼ tsp. Tyme

¼ tsp. Poultry seasoning

¼ tsp. Rosemary

3 bay leaves

12 chicken bouillon cubes

Optional: 4 drops of hot sauce

Optional: Rice or Noodles- I've used homemade noodles and I've used egg noodles and both have tasted great.

Dissolve cubes in water. Add chicken. Boil (a gentle boil) chicken until tender. Remove chicken, set aside and cool. Add diced carrots, celery and onion to broth. Add seasonings. Simmer until tender. While vegetables are simmering, remove chicken from bones. Add meat to broth. Simmer 30min or more. I usually let it simmer for a couple of hours. Add pre-cooked rice or noodles.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 box stuffing
1 can Healthy Choice Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
2 cloves garlic (or two tsp pre-minced garlic)
3 tsp salt
3 tsp pepper
About 2 Tbsp olive oil
Grated Parmesan and mozzerella cheese (optional)
4-6 x 6-inch string/floss pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a small casserole dish with foil
Cut each breast in half (long ways) but not all the way through, opening up the breasts into a heart shape. Pound them out so that they are thinned.
Prepare the stuffing as the box suggests (I leave out the butter for calorie and healthy preferances, but do as you like).
Take several good handfuls of stuffing and place them in each chicken breast. (If you like cheese, this is the time to put some cheese in with the stuffing. I didn't, since I can't have cheese and it was really yummy without it...but some people love cheese, so there you have it)Close the chicken breasts around the stuffing and tie closed with 2 or 3 strings each. You have to tie them pretty tight.
Place the stuffed chicken breasts in the dish and lightly coat each breast with olive oil and salt and pepper (and parmesan cheese--again, if you're a cheese person--if not, it was yummy without it).
Bake on one side for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the Cream of Mushroom Soup with the milk, garlic, and salt and pepper. After the 10 minutes has passed, turn over the stuffed chicken breasts, baste them with olive oil and salt and pepper, and pour the C of MS mixture over them covering them completely.
Bake for 10 minutes at a time for another 40 minutes, turning over chicken breasts and re-covering them with C of MS mixture every turn. (On last 10-minute turn over, add more cheese on top if you're a cheese person)
Serve hot with vegetables and bread.

(I made up this recipe, too, because I wanted a healthy "fancy" meal one night. We thought it was just delicious. Let me know what you think!)

Italian Cream Cheese Chicken

My family actually just calls this dish Easy and Delicious Chicken, but I took the liberty of giving it a more specified name for blog purposes.

2-4 chicken breasts, cut into bite size peices
italian dressing (I use fat free)
1 8oz. package cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth (I use water and it still tastes delicious)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme

Put chicken in crock put, soak in Italian dressing. (I use 1/2 bottle dressing for 2 ckn breasts). Let cook on low for 3-4 hours. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl. After chicken is cooked, drain out liquid from crock put and put the cream cheese/soup mixture in. Let cook for one more hour. Serve over rice or pasta.

(FYI - I use 2 chicken breasts and it feeds my husband and I for 2 meals. If you want to make more than for larger groups . . . add more (than 4) chicken breasts and just double the sauce).

Quick Chicken Cacciatore

1 package (10.5 ounces) frozen fat-free breaded chicken breast patties, partially thawed
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 small onion, sliced into wedges (about 3/4 cup)
8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 garlic clove, pressed
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (0ptional)

To partially thaw chicken patties, microwave on HIGH 1 minute only. Cut chicken patties into 3/4-inch strips (or cut them into cubes).
Cook linguine according to package directions in 4-qt casserole. Drain and keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add some olive oil, and add chicken patty strips (cubes), cook for 3 minutes, turning frequently.
Add bell pepper, mushrooms, onion and garlic, cook for 2-4 minutes (until vegetables are tender but not mushy). Add tomatoes, bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes.
Serve over hot linguine. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese, if desired.

I love this recipe, it takes less than 30 minutes to make and it looks like a gourmet meal!

Dirty Chicken

Ingredients:

4 to 5 boneless skinless Chicken Breasts, diced into 1 inch cubes
1/4 c. oil
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 tbsp. ground ginger
1/4 c. soy sauce.


Directions:

Marinate 30 min. to 1 hour. Heat frying pan on high. Pour marinated chicken into heated pan. Cooks in 5 to 8 minutes. Serve over rice. Yum Yum.

This is a great last minute kind of recipe. It's good even if you don't marinate it the whole time.

Lemon-Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:
Bone in chicken (I like to use breasts* and legs)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lemons, quartered
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. In a large bowl, toss together oil, garlic, lemons (squeeze a little of the juice into bowl and put the actual lemon in as well), and oregano. Stir together and add chicken. Mix together until chicken is evenly covered.

3. On a large rimmed baking sheet place the chicken, skin side up and lemons evenly apart. Pour any remaining juice from the bowl over chicken.

4. Cook for 30 -35 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Notes:
This recipe is adapted from the 'everyday food' magazine by Martha Stewart. Love, love, love this magazine. The recipes and ingredients are simple, delicious, and if I can make them anyone can.

*I cut the bone-in chicken breasts in half so that the size of the pieces are a little more equal and will cook more evenly.

Southwestern Chicken Pasta

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2055/2526397775_308b60e0f5_o.jpg

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

1-2 cups salsa depending on taste

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2-1 cup cheddar cheese (optional)

Mix soup, sour cream, and salsa together

Cut chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and place in crock pot.

Pur sauce over chicken and set crock pot to cook for 2-3 hours (or bake in oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes)

Serve over pasta or rice (with melted cheese on top if desired)

--Recipe submitted by Tamara Oborn

Brown Sugar Chicken

image: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1165/1431735493_31b8342e01.jpg

1 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cube butter (4 Tbsp)

2 Tbsp Ketchup

2 Tbsp Mustard

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

Combine ingredients in a sauce pan.

Place 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in baking dish and pour sauce over it.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Serve over rice

Chicken Fingers

http://www.bettycrocker.com/images/beautyshots/r36496fp.jpg

I'm amazed at the number of friends who only buy frozen pre-made chicken fingers when they're so easy to make!

2/3 c. Bisquick
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese (or any freshly grated cheese of choice)
1/2 tsp. salt or garlic salt
1/2 tsp. paprika

3 chicken breasts (cut in to strips)
1 egg
1 TB butter, melted

Mix first 4 ingredients (dry ones) together and put on a shallow plate.

First dip the chicken in the egg until coated then dip in the dry batter mix.

Put the battered chicken on a cookie sheet and drizzle with the melted butter.

Bake 450'F for 14min.