Creamy Salsa Chicken

Earlier this week I was trying to find a dinner that would be quick, easy and satisfying. I posted an inquiry on one of the cooking message boards that I frequent and one of the girls posted this recipe for me to try. It was delicious! I will definitely be adding this into my repertoire of regular meals. The original recipe comes from Rick Bayless–a chef I happen to adore. Not only does he cook one of my favorite cuisines (Mexican), but he is also from Chicago! You are definitely going to want to try out this dish.

Creamy Salsa Chicken

6 large boned, skinless chicken breast halves

1 16-oz. jar of chunky salsa

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro and queso fresco, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brown in a skillet for 30-45 seconds per side. Brush the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan with a little oil;  place the chicken breasts in one layer in the pan.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the cream and salsa; spoon salsa mixture over the chicken (I cut the chicken into pieces, but you don’t have to do this.)

Bake on the bottom shelf for 30 minutes.

Top with cilantro and crumbled queso fresco, if desired.

Source: Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations

I served this with some delicious sour cream rice–will share that recipe soon!

Polynesian Volcanoes

This is a really interesting dish. I was a little skeptical when my friend told me about this recipe—but I promise, it is really fantastic! It is a fun meal to make with kids and is relatively inexpensive. You can tailor the ingredients to your liking, but do the chicken broth! I promise it is worth it!

Polynesian Volcanoes

Chicken grilled with teriyaki sauce

White rice

Diced pineapple

Chow Mein noodles

Diced green onions

Toasted coconut flakes

Sliced almonds

Shredded cheddar cheese

Pile all the toppings together like this:

Then, take the heated chicken broth and pour over the top–which will melt the cheese.

Very tasty and quick!

Source: my friend Autumn

Chicken “Divine”

I got this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks that I received at a wedding shower—over 5 years ago! Even though I now live in California and grew up in Chicago, I still reminice fondly of our time in Nashville  and feel very connected to some of the Southern heritage and cooking! This is a spin on the classic Southern dish, Chicken Divan. This dish comes together very quick and can be made a day in advance. I saw a Paula Deen show once where she said that chicken divan should be in every wife’s repertoire. I’d never even had it before, so I figure I better get on it!

Chicken “Divine”

4 cups fresh broccoli florets, or 2 packages (10 oz. each) frozen broccoli florets, thawed

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine (I usually use 2 buck Chuck chardonnay)

1 jar (16 oz.) Alfredo sauce

2 cups (4 oz.) grated smoked Gouda or Edam cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 cups cooked penne, macaroni or orecchiette (about 3 cups dried)

2 cups shredded roast chicken, home cooked or purchased

1/4 cup dry Italian-style bread crumbs

Paprika for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

If using fresh broccoli, cook the florets in a steamer until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and drain thoroughly. If using thawed frozen broccoli, squeeze out the excess liquid. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, kosher salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, increase the heat to high, and cook until the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the Alfredo sauce, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the milk, and nutmeg. Then stir in the cooked pasta, broccoli, and chicken and mix thoroughly.

Transfer to an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish. Top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese and the bread crumbs. Sprinkle with paprika, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Tip: This casserole can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated. It can also be assembled and then frozen. If the casserole was frozen, thaw in the refrigerator and bake as directed.

Source: Bride & Groom First and Forever

One thing I love about this cookbook is that it has a lot of recipes with only 2-4 servings, so it’s perfect for a married couple or an intimate dinner party.

Poppy seed Chicken Casserole

Poppyseed chicken casserole is a staple in the South. I first had this delicious dish at a friend’s house when we were living in Nashville, Tennessee. It is really easy and so tasty. It doesn’t really photograph well, so I didn’t take a picture—but it is definitely worth a try!

If anyone is ever looking for an authentic Southern cooking restaurant while visiting the Nashville area, I highly recommend Dumplin’s in Franklin, TN—get the poppyseed chicken casserole, the cloverlead rolls with honey butter and a glass of fruit tea. And if you’re feeling ambitious—a slice of the chocolate majesty for dessert—definitely get some to go if you don’t have room!

Poppy seed Chicken Casserole

1 package chicken tenderloins (or breast steaks will work fine)

16 oz. sour cream (I use low fat)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

Poppy seeds

1/2-1 stick butter (I try to stick with 1/2)

1 1/2 packages (sleeves) of Ritz crackers

Boil chicken for severl minutes until tender. Mix sour cream, soup and poppy seeds (just until it looks like there are a good amount of poppy seeds throughout). Mix in chicken. Put in a casserole dish. Top with crumbled Ritz crackers and pour melted butter on top. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes, covered (remove foil after 20 minutes).

Serve over rice.

White Bean Chicken Chili

Chili is definitely one of my all-time favorite Fall foods. There is nothing better than watching a football game on a cool Fall day (not too common here in L.A)–with a bowl of chili. I have been wanting to try white chili for a very long time but never got around to it. I am kicking myself now—because this recipe was awesome! And super easy. You can throw this together very fast. It was very creamy and delicious. Highly, highly recommended.

White Bean Chicken Chili

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ -inch cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 ½ tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. oil

2 (15.5 oz) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth

2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles (I only used 1 can since I am not a huge fan of chiles)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

½ cup whipping cream

fresh cilantro and paprika, for garnish

Directions:

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, sauté chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chiles and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; let simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and whipping cream. Sprinkle with paprika and top with fresh cilantro for garnish, if desired.

Source: Annie’s Eats

I am also going to submit this recipe to Joelen’s blogging event, Tasty Tools. This month’s tool is the Dutch Oven!

Creamy Chicken Pockets

I saw this recipe on my friend Nikki’s food blog and I knew immediately that I would have to make it asap. I am a huge fan of anything involving crescent rolls. It definitely did not disappoint. And it was very easy to pop back into the oven for leftovers (350 for 15 minutes or so). Excuse the picture with my ugly cookie sheet.

Creamy Chicken Pockets

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
4 small chicken breasts, diced
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 tablespoons milk
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Brown chicken with onions and garlic.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine until smooth. Add the chicken, kosher salt, breadcrumbs, pepper, and milk. Mix well.

Separate crescent dough into eight rectangles, firmly pressing perforations of two triangles to seal into rectangle. Spoon 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture onto the center of four rectangles. Top with remaining rectangles and seal edges.

Place pockets on an ungreased cookie sheet or baking stone. Brush tops of pockets with melted butter; sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Source: Allrecipes

Artichoke Chicken and Garlic Bread

This is a meal I made a long time ago and never blogged about. It was great and super easy with minimal ingredients.

Artichoke Chicken

Source: Allrecipes

1 (15 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 pinch garlic pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, and garlic pepper. Place chicken in a greased baking dish, and cover evenly with artichoke mixture.

3. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear.

Garlic Bread

Source: Barefoot Contessa

6 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup good olive oil

1 loaf ciabatta bread

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Place the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until minced. Add the parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and pulse twice.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan and add the garlic mixture. Remove the pan from the heat.

Slice the ciabatta bread in half horizontally, and spread the butter on 1 half. Spread the garlic mixture on the other half of the bread, and put the halves together. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil.

Place the bread in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Open the foil, and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes.

Oven-Fried Chicken with Parmesan Cheese (page 603)

Tonight I had to quickly throw something together for dinner. I wasn’t initially planning on using The Joy of Cooking cookbook, but then this recipe caught my eye and I happened to have the recipes on hand, so I went for it. I wasn’t in the mood to throw together any side dishes so I just paired it with frozen organic green beans and Trader Joe’s frozen organic sweet corn (soooo good!!)

Oven-Fried Chicken with Parmesan Cheese

Crisp, savory, and quickly made, this oven-fried chicken is equally good hot or cold. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Rinse and pat dry:

12 chicken drumsticks, thighs, or breast halves, or a combination (I used chicken breasts)

Mix in a medium bowl:

1 cup whole-milk or low-fat yogurt

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup Dijon mustard (all I had was deli style grainy mustard, but it was really good)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Combine in a wide, shallow bowl:

3 cups dry-unseasoned bread crumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon ground sage (I didn’t have sage, so I used savory seasoning instead)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Coat each piece of chicken with the yogurt mixture, then roll in the crumb mixture, then roll in the crumb mixture, patting with your fingers to make the crumbs adhere. Arrange the chicken on the baking sheet. Bake until the coating is nicely browned and the dark meat pieces exude clear juices when pricked with a fork, 45 to 60 minutes. Serve immediately or at room temperature.