Crockpot chicken tacos

Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Recipe from Tasty Kitchen
Serves: ~12 people

1 Envelope Taco Seasoning (I use Old El Paso Reduced Sodium)
6 Pieces Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 16-ounce jar Salsa (I switch between brands, but Newman's Own or Pace are my favorites)

Dump everything into a crock pot and give it a little stir to blend the seasoning with the salsa. You do not need to add any water to the taco seasoning. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. When done, the chicken should shred easily when stirred with a fork.

For tacos, serve the chicken with soft flour tortillas, guacamole, lettuce, shredded cheese and/or sour cream. This is very versatile and can be used for enchiladas, nachos, tostadas, quesadillas, etc. Any leftover chicken can then be used for tortilla soup (make it the next day or freeze the chicken to use at a later time).

Baked Caprese Pasta

I made this tonight and my family devoured it.  It was fresh and delicious. I was thinking next time I might substitute Chicken fingers for the mozzarella sticks. Original recipe found HERE.
Baked Caprese Pasta

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 C chicken broth
• 1 1/2 C milk (Fat content lower than 1% not recommended)
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/3 tsp kosher salt
• 1 lb penne pasta, cooked
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 C mozzarella, cubed
• 1/2 C fresh basil, chopped
• 1 (8 oz) box Mozzarella Sticks

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a medium-sized sauce pan and add garlic. Let cook until fragrant, about 1 minute and stir in flour, cooking an additional minute.
3. Whisk in broth and milk, stirring constantly until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in salt and red pepper.
4. In a 9x13" casserole dish, place 1/2 of the pasta into the bottom and top with 1/2 of the tomatoes, and basil, and all of the mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining pasta, tomatoes and basil.
5. Pour garlic sauce evenly over the pasta.
6. Cut each mozzarella stick into a several pieces and place across the pasta in an even layer. Cover with foil.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, uncover, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the mozzarella sticks are melted and crisp and the sauce is bubbling.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

I don't think I will ever buy sweet and sour chicken from a restaurant again, this recipe is  just as good as anything I have ever bought.  Original recipe found here .  The only thing I do different is 1 1/2 the sauce recipe and instead of browning my chicken in 1/4 cup oil I only use Pam.

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 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.  

Served with a delicious fried rice tops off this dish perfectly.

Cucina's Curried Chicken Salad

I love this chicken salad because it is so different from any other plain old chicken salad. Every time I make it I am asked for the recipe.

2 pounds boneless, skinless, cold poached chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch dice (sometimes I use a Costco rotisserie chicken)

4 ribs celery, thinly sliced on diagonal

2 cups red seedless grapes (I slice mine in half)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (i leave these out)

1/2 cup golden raisins

In a large mixing bowl, combine the poached chicken, sliced celery, red grapes, walnuts and raisins.

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup half and half

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper (i use black)

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for dressing. Gently fold the dressing into the salad. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Restaurant note: Since we started serving this salad, not a day goes by when we don't sell out. It is easy, flavorful and with the addition of the apricot preserves, it gives the salad a sweet tangy edge to the chicken. The perfect luncheon salad, over greens, or just in a tick roll for a great sandwich.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe found here
Ingredients:

• 6-8 chicken tenders, cut into bite sized chunks
• 1 green pepper, sliced into chunks
• 1 can of pineapple chunks
• 2 carrots, sliced (my addition)
• 8 oz. Russian dressing
• 8 oz. apricot jam
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 1/4 cup water
• rice

Directions:

1. line a 9x13 pan with foil. lay the chicken strips on the bottom. layer green pepper, carrots and pineapple chunks on top.

2. mix together the dressing, jam, soup mix, and water and pour on top of the chicken. cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes at 350*. remove the foil lid and continue cooking for 30 more minutes. serve over rice.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
recipe found here.

Ingredients:

• 1 box (4.3 oz) or Rice-o-Roni's Long Grain and Wild Rice Original
• 1 1/4 c. water
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1/2 c. each of carrots, celery and onion-chopped
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1 c. cream
• 3 c. chicken broth
• 6 chicken tenders or 3 chicken breasts
• olive oil (to cook chicken)
• S&P to taste

Directions:
1. combine water, rice, and seasoning pkg into a baking dish. Bake @ 325 for 45 mins. to an hour-until rice is tender.
2. cube chicken and cook thoroughly.
3. in a large pot, melt butter and saute veggies until soft. Add flour in small amounts to veggies to avoid clumps.
4. to large pot, slowly add chicken broth and blend until smooth.
5. add cream and bouillon cube
6. add rice and chicken. S&P to taste and simmer to combine flavors.

4 adult servings.

perfect for those cold winter night. serve with a grilled cheese on sourdough or garlic bread and a green salad.

Chicken Spaghetti

2cups cooked chicken

2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup finely diced green pepper

1/2 cup finely diced onion
1-4 oz jar diced pimentos, drained

3 cups dry spaghetti, broken into two inch pieces

2 cups reserved chicken broth from pot

1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper-

Salt & Pepper to taste-
additional cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Boil chicken for as longs as you can and cut up chicken two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional one cup sharp cheddar. Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil.)

recipe found here

Chicken Cordon Blue

1 package pepperidge farm puff pastry sheets, thawed

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

8 slices of deli ham

1 cup swiss cheese, grated

1 egg beaten

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out puff pastry and cut into 8 evenly divided squares. Place a folded slice of ham in the center of each square. Evenly divide chicken and cheese between rectangles on top of ham. Pull up corners of rectangles to center and twist. Pinch edges to seal. Place on a cookie sheet lined with foil (for easy clean up) and sprayed with olive oil spray. Brush tops with egg. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Recipe found in Food Nanny Cookbook

Favorite Pizza dough
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweet bbq sauce, divided
1/4 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese
3 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 thinly sliced red onion
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)

1. Prepare the pizza dough and place it in an oiled pizza pan and set aside.
2. Grill or broil the chicken breasts* until barely done. Cut them into strips or chunks. Mix the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce.
3.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
4. To assemble the pizza, spread the remaining 1 cup of barbecue sauce over the pizza crust. Sprinkle with the Gouda cheese and top with 3 cups of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the chicken, green peppers and onions over the cheese. Top with the remaining 1/2 of mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 minutes on the lowest oven rack. Remove pizza from oven and sprinkle with the cilantro. Return to oven and bake until the crust is light brown, 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Slice and serve.

note: *Instead of using grilled chicken, I have used a roasted chicken from Costco and de-boned it and cut it into chunks.

Classic Chicken Curry

Recipe found here

CLASSIC CHICKEN CURRY

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-3 pieces)
2 Tbsp. curry powder (look among the spices)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. (14 oz. can) low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Cooked white rice
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
1/4 c. (1 oz.) almonds, roughly chopped (optional)

Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut it into 1-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Sprinkle it with the curry and cinnamon, toss, and set aside. Heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and zucchini and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Add the broth, cream, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer. Return the onion and zucchini to the skillet and heat until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. For a little stronger curry flavor, this is a good time to sprinkle some more of the curry powder into the liquid mixture. (I do.)

Divide the rice among individual bowls, top with the curry, and sprinkle with the basil and almonds.

Tip: You can vary the ingredients depending on what you have on hand. Consider substituting coconut milk for the cream, eggplant for the zucchini, cilantro for the basil, or cashews for the almonds.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Bajio Green Chili Chicken Salad

Yum, Yum, Yum. Worth the work.
Recipe found Here.

INGREDIENTS

2 Grilled Chicken Breasts

1 cup Green Chile Chutney

1 cup of Caramelized Onions

2 cups Fresh Pico De Gallo

1 cup Shredded Cheese (a mix of cheddar and jack cheese)

8 cups of Fresh Lettuce mix (a combination of red and green leaf is optimal)

Cilantro Lime Dressing

*

DIRECTIONS
For the chicken:

1.Marinate chicken breasts in 1 cup of lime juice and 1 cup oil, let stand for at least two hours in the refrigerator.
2.On a hot grill, grill the chicken with a bit of balsamic vinegar, until done and set aside to rest. Once the chicken has had time to cool, shred into small pieces.

For onion:

1.Slice 1 whole white onion into slices. In a medium saute pan, add 2 TBL spoons of oil and saute the onions until they are translucent.
2.Once the onions are done, add the shredded chicken and a cup of Green Chile Chutney, and saute all together until well heated.
Assembly:

On individual plates, pile with mixed greens, add a cup of Fresh Pico De Gallo. Add the warm chicken mixture and top with cheese and a cilantro lime dressing. Serve.