Cheez-It Chicken

Cheez-It Chicken

Ingredients:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Sour Cream

1 Box of Cheeze-It Crackers

Melted Butter

Directions: 

I didn't put exact measurements, because you can totally cater this recipe to your needs.  I usually do 2-3 chicken breasts. 

Smother the chicken breasts in the sour cream (I usually use 8 oz.).  Smash up the crackers, and coat the chicken with the crackers.  Place on a tin foil lined baking sheet, and drizzle the melted butter over the sour cream and cracker coated chicken breasts.

Bake in the oven at 350* for about 45 minutes to an hour.  (Baking time will depend on the size of the chicken as well as how many you are baking.  Chicken is done when juices run clear.)

Enjoy!  I usually serve with steamed broccoli and baked potatoes.  Yummy!

Recipe from Megan F.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

I think that this is probably the best homemade sweet and sour chicken I've ever had!  Definitely a keeper recipe!  You can find the original recipe along with step-by-step pictures HERE.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (original recipe calls for distilled white vinegar)

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

       Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs.  Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.  

Goes great with this delicious fried rice recipe!

Recipe source: http://life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com

Cheese and Broccoli Chicken Soup

"This is a thick and creamy cheddar cheese soup with chunks of chicken meat and broccoli florets."

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Ready in: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
11 cups water
3 cubes chicken bullion
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
2 heads fresh broccoli, cut into florets
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup light cream
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. In a 5-quart pot, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in flour, stirring constantly until a thick paste forms. Remove from pot, set aside. (I've found that even 1/2 the butter and flour amounts are usually enough.)
2. In same pot, combine water, bullion cubes, chicken, broccoli, salt and pepper. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Stir in the flour mixture a little bit at a time until soup thickens.  Simmer 5 minutes. Reduce heat, and stir in cream. Mix in cheese 1 cup at a time, and stir until melted.


Variation:  Replace chicken with ham. We had leftover ham from Christmas dinner - I just chopped it into bite-size pieces. Omit salt when using ham as it will add a salted flavor already.

My family (2 adults & 1 child) eats about 1/3 of this recipe for a meal.  Here are the amounts that I use when cutting the ingredients into 1/3: (butter & flour are slightly less than 1/3 because I never need as much as the recipe calls for.)
2 Tablespoons butter 
1/4 cup flour
3 cups water
1 cube chicken bullion
2/3 pound chicken or ham
1 head fresh broccoli
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using ham)
1/3 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup light cream
1 cup cheddar cheese


source: allrecipes.com

Aloha Chicken

ALOHA CHICKEN
Serves: 4  
Ready in 30 mins or less

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp oil
2 cans (8oz size) unsweetened pineapple chunks
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp light teriyaki sauce or light soy sauce
1/8 tsp black pepper
hot cooked rice

Directions:
Flatten chicken to 1/4 inch thickness.  Place 1 tablespoon of flour in a large Ziploc bag; add chicken and shake to coat.  In skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in oil for 3 to5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.  Remove and keep warm.

Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup juice.  In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and reserved juice until smooth.  Add to skillet.  Stir in honey, teriyaki sauce and pepper.  Boil 30 seconds or until thickened.  Add pineapple chunks and chicken; heat through.  Serve over rice. (We had it with brown rice and it was excellent!)

*Note: Next time I think I'd like to have a little bit more sauce so I may increase the amount of pineapple juice, cornstarch, honey, and teriyaki sauce to make more.  It would probably be nice to have some to pour over the rice too. 

source: www.cdkitchen.com

Poppyseed Chicken

Chicken breasts (4-8, cooked)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 16 oz tub sour cream
2 sleeves ritz crackers
1/2 cup butter
1 Tbs poppy seeds

• Cube cooked chicken and place in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
• Mix sour cream and soup and cover chicken with soup mixture.
• Crush crackers and mix with melted butter and poppy seeds.
• Sprinkle cracker mixture over the soup and bake at 350* for 30 minutes.

(Recipe from Emily C.)

Swiss Chicken Supreme

1 Tbs dried minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup crushed crackers
1 tsp melted butter
1/2 cup milk
4 (+) boneless chicken breasts

• Place chicken in 9x13 foil-lined pan.  Sprinkle with onion, garlic, salt and pepper.  Top each with a slice of cheese.
• In a small bowl, combine the soup, sour cream and milk.  Pour over chicken.  Toss the cracker crumbs and butter and sprinkle over chicken.
• bake, uncovered, at 350* for 30-40 minutes.

(recipe from Emily C.)

Chicken Parmesan Bake

Source: http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/02/end-of-chicken-parmesan-as-you-know-it.html

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
hot red pepper flakes, to taste
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup chopped basil
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz Parmesan, grated
1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

Directions:

• Preheat oven t 350*.
• In a casserole dish - 9x13 or whatever you have, put in 2 Tbsp of olive oil and 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Mix those around so the bottom is coated. Add a couple shakes of red pepper flakes (optional, but good!).
• Fill pan with chicken breasts. (The number will depend on the size of breasts you are using.)
• Pour 2 cups of marinara sauce over the chicken. Then sprinkle about 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil leaves. (You can also use dry but fresh is best).
• On top of sauce, sprinkle half of mozzarella (4 oz), and half of Parmesan (2 oz).
• Pour on your 5 oz package of croutons and spread out so that a single layer covers the whole dish.
• Then sprinkle on the rest of your mozzarella (4 oz) and Parmesan(2 oz) cheeses.
• Bake uncovered in 350* oven for 35 minutes. (May take up to an hour to cook depending on the chicken you use).

Shelley's notes:

• I cooked this for about 35 minutes uncovered and then for another 25 or 30 minutes with tin foil on top because the chicken was not done and the top was already brown and toasty and I didn't want it overly toasted. My chicken ended up being really thick. Next time I would definitely cut my chicken to make it thinner - then it would cook faster and the layer of chicken would not be so huge and I think it would have a better balance with the other layers. If the chicken was thinner to begin with it would probably be fine.
• I served this dinner with spaghetti noodles (we put the chicken parm on top of the noodles), a side of sauteed zucchini and yellow squash, and rolls. DELICIOUS!!

Chicken Cacciatore

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore
Found this on http://thecraftingchicks.com/.  Loved it!

Ingredients:

1-2 chicken breasts

1 packet of Spaghetti Sauce mix (I love the cheap brand the best!),

1- 8oz can of tomato sauce

olive oil

water

(You can double this if you have a larger family.  Or if you want more sauce, you can double everything but the chicken.)

Note: As a super simple alternative, just combine the chicken and some pre-made spaghetti sauce. 

Directions:

Spray your crock pot with a non-stick spray.  Combine the spaghetti sauce mix, the tomato sauce, 1 1/2 cans full of water, and about 2 tbls. of olive oil.  Stir together. 

Add your chicken.  Frozen chicken works great! Cook this on high for about 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-7 hours.   (I usually cook mine on high and it still turns out so moist and tasty.)

After about 3 hours, or when the chicken is cooked through, separate or pull the chicken.  This will help the flavors seep into more of the chicken making it super yummy.  After it is pulled, cook if for about 30 mins-1 hour longer.

Cook some spaghetti noodles (whole grain noodles are great with this recipe) and serve your Chicken Cacciatore over top.  You can sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top.  This is a yummy alternative to regular old spaghetti.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

4 cups water
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
2 cans (14 oz) chicken broth
1 cup cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots

1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper to taste

2 cups frozen chopped broccoli
2 1/4 cups cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen

grated Parmesan cheese (optional)


Directions:
In large pot, combine all ingredients except broccoli and tortellini. Bring to a boil. Add tortellini and broccoli, simmer 5-10 minutes, or until carrots and broccoli are tender. Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Cream Cheese Chicken

Ingredients:

Appx 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (more or less depending on what you'd like)
1 pkg of dry Italian Seasoning
1 stick of butter (I used half and that was plenty)
1 pkg of Cream Cheese (I use either the lowfat or the non-fat depending on what I have)
1 small can of Cream of Chicken Soup

Combine chicken breasts, Italian Seasoning and butter in your crock pot. Cook on low roughly 4-5 hours (High about 2 hrs)

In the last 30 minutes add the Cream Cheese and the Cream of Chicken Soup. Mix and continue cooking.

Serve with pasta of your choice. We have used angel hair and egg noodles. I hear this is also great stuffed into shells with stove top stuffing on the top along with some cheese.

This is the one recipe EVERYONE in my family continually loves! :)

White Chili

White Chili

Serves 6


Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 cup chicken, cooked; shredded or cubed (or you can use 1 can chicken)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 1/3 tsp oregano
2 cans white chili beans, drained and rinsed (other kinds are good too - they just won't be white.)
6 cups chicken broth

sour cream
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded


Directions:

In pot, saute onion in olive oil until translucent (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add chilies, chicken, cayenne pepper, cumin and oregano. Stir. Add beans and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.

Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Honey Crusted Chicken

Honey Crusted Chicken

We found this recipe a while ago on the MAYO clinic website under the nutrition and healthy eating section. I just had it again recently and had forgotten how delicious it is -- and so easy too!

Dietitian's tip: Never give honey to children younger than 1 year. Honey is a known source of bacterial spores that produce the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This bacterium makes a toxin that can cause infant botulism — a form of food poisoning that affects a baby's nervous system and can result in death.

Yield: 4 servings
Oven temp: 375 degrees F.

Ingredients:

16 saltine crackers, each about 2 inches square
2 teaspoons paprika
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each 4 ounces
2-3 Tablespoons honey


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray.

Crush the crackers.  I like to put the crackers in a mixing bowl and crush them with a pastry blender.  Add paprika. Stir to mix well.

In a separate bowl, add the chicken and honey. Toss to coat evenly. Add the cracker mixture. Mix and press the chicken into the cracker mixture until it's evenly coated on both sides.

Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish. Bake until lightly browned and cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tip: Cooked Chicken for Recipes

Cooked Chicken for Recipes

More of a cooking tip rather than a recipe: This is my favorite way to cook chicken for almost any recipe. It's great for any recipe that calls for diced or shredded chicken. The chicken turns out nice and moist and has a great flavor when cooked this way!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

(Chicken can be fresh or frozen. I typically use breasts but I'm sure it would work great with other pieces as well; you'll just have to adapt accordingly. You can do only the amount for your recipe, or do a bunch at once and refrigerate or freeze the excess for later use. I usually do this sometime earlier in the day so that it's ready to go when I'm making dinner - it makes it so easy!)

Place chicken breasts in baking dish making sure to not overlap any pieces. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the tops, then season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Place in the oven to cook until the juices run clear or until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F. when measured with a meat thermometer. Frozen breasts usually take 45 - 60 minutes.

After chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-size pieces with a fork. It is now ready to use in your recipe or to be refrigerated or frozen for later use.

Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken

Serves 3-4, or 5-6 as part of a multi-course meal

Ingredients:

3 whole boneless chicken breasts

Marinade
2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
a few drops of sesame oil
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 1/2 Tbsp water
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vegetable oil

Sauce for Sesame Chicken
1/2 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1-2 Tbsp vinegar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic (minced)


2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds


Oil for frying or deep-frying


Directions:

• Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. 
• Mix the marinade ingredients and marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.
• To prepare sauce: mix together all of the sauce ingredients. Pour them into a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Turn the heat down to low and keep warm while you are cooking the chicken.
• To fry the chicken: add the marinated chicken pieces a few at a time, and fry or deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remainder of the chicken.
• Just before you are finished frying, bring the sauce back up to a boil.  Place the chicken on a large platter and pour the sauce over. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve the Sesame Chicken with rice.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie
Makes enough filling for two 9" pies.

Click here for Pie Crust recipe.

Filling:
2 (10 oz) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (about 16 oz) package frozen mixed vegetables (small carrot, peas, and corn mix, or something similar works well)
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded. (Canned chicken works also.)
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth (2 cups)
2 Tbsp flour

Mix everything in a pan; heat. Fill pies.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour (maybe longer) until crust is golden.

Notes: If you want to put one in the freezer to have later, that works great too. After putting on the top crust and before baking, wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap and freeze it. Bake for maybe 1 1/2 to 2 hours from frozen - just until the crust is golden. It turned out great when I tried it -- couldn't even tell it had been frozen!

Click here for chicken cooking tip.

(Recipe from Beth Ulvestad)

Apricot Chicken

Baked Apricot Chicken

Oven temp: 350
Yield: 4-6 servings


4-6 chicken breasts
1 cup apricot preserves
1 cup French dressing
1 (1 oz) package dry onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl combine the jam, dressing, and soup mix. Mix together. Place chicken pieces in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour apricot mixture over chicken and bake uncovered in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until chicken has an internal temperature of 170 degrees. (My cooking time was figured using frozen breasts so if your chicken is not frozen, you will not have to cook them for as long.)

Serving suggestion: serve with rice or Herb Roasted Potatoes.

Enchilada Chicken Soup

Enchilada Chicken Soup
Yield: approximately 6 servings

1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 2/3 cups milk
1 can (10 oz) chunk white chicken, drained (2-3 chicken breasts)
1 can (10 oz) mild enchilada sauce
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilles
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Tortilla chips
Shredded cheese
Sour cream

In large pot, combine all canned ingredients and milk. Mix well. Cook until heated through. Top with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Click here for chicken cooking tip.

- Recipe from Hanna Griffiths

Chicken & Noodle Soup

Creamy Chicken and Noodle Soup

1 can (10 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
2 cups chicken, diced & cooked
2 cups (approx) diced carrots (It is helpful to cook carrots in water for a few minutes in the microwave to get them tender)
4 cups water
noodles (about 8 ounces)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine soup, broth, chicken and carrots in large pot. Add about 2 to 4 cups water. Bring to boil. Add your choice of noodles, spaghetti or wide egg noodles, etc. about 8 ounces. (I like to make my own noodles (see recipe link below) or use homestyle egg noodles.) Then simmer about 20 to 30 minutes until noodles are done. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Click here for homemade noodle recipe.
Click here for chicken cooking tip.

(Recipe from Stephanie Southam)