Cheesy Chicken Casserole with Vegetables

 This was a last minute dump meal I made and it turned out pretty good. I added rice at the end, but you could easily add in some cooked pasta. Serves 4 Total Time: 55 minutes 

Ingredients: 

1 boiled chicken breast, cut up into bite size pieces 

1 12oz pkg of broccoli, thawed and cut into bite size pieces. (if it’s a frozen steam bag of broccoli, microwave 2 minutes to soften then cut up)

1 8.5oz can of sweet peas

10 baby carrots or 2 medium size carrots, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cups chicken broth 

1 cup milk 

1 8oz pkg shredded cheddar cheese, divided 

1 tablespoon parsley 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Directions: 

Preheat oven 350F. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with a nonstick olive oil spray. On the bottom add the vegetables then the chicken. In a medium size sauté pot heat up the chicken broth then stir in the milk. When hot add in 1/2 the bag of shredded cheddar cheese, stir until melted. Pour over chicken/vege mixture and bake 35 minutes. When done remove from oven, this is when I stirred in the cooked rice and topped with the remaining cheese. Cooked and additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese melted and bubbly. 

Kat’s Easy Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

 This recipe got a thumbs up from my 16 year old granddaughter. Between the two of us it was enough for 3 nights, so it makes 6 servings. Two nights we had it on top of spaghetti and the other with rice. I preferred the pasta. Total time: 20 minutes prep with either 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. I opted for the 4 hours as I started later. 

Ingredients:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (mine were rather large, add more if yours are on the smaller side)

5 small mini sweet peppers, diced (I used ALDIs brand)

1 yellow onion, diced 

4 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon minced garlic 

1 jar Bertolli’s Rustic Cut with hearty Vegetables (I can only find this at Walmart)

1 small can of tomato paste 

1 tablespoon each of oregano and parsley 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Directions:

Put your chicken in the bottom of the crockpot top with mushrooms, onions and peppers. In a bowl add the sauce, tomato paste and minced garlic, stir to combine. Pour on top of chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle on seasonings and salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook 4 hrs high or 6-8 hours low. Cook long enough that chicken falls apart easily. I tore mine apart prior to serving in the crockpot. Cook rice or spaghetti according to package instructions. Add chicken cacciatore on top of spaghetti or rice. Enjoy! 

Chicken Alfredo Roll-Ups ..Homemade Alfredo Sauce

 Why buy Alfredo sauce when you can make a healthier version at home! 

CHICKEN ALFREDO ROLL-UPS ...I WISH I THOUGHT OF IT!

DO YOU HAVE LEFTOVER CHICKEN? THIS IS A GREAT RECIPE AND ILL SAY IT AGAIN ...THE KIDS WILL LOVE IT. SERVES 4 TOTAL TIME 45 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp. butter

2  garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cup milk (preferably 2% or whole)

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups shredded cooked chicken 

12 cooked lasagna noodles

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°. 
2. In large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook until mixture is bubbling and golden, 1 minute more. Gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly. Bring mixture to a simmer, then stir in cream cheese and Parmesan. Let simmer until sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Add lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions.

1. Spoon a thin layer of sauce onto bottom of a large baking dish. 
2. Lay cooked noodles in a single layer on a cutting board or baking sheet. Spread alfredo mixture on each noodle, top with shredded chicken, and roll up. Lay roll-ups seam side-down in baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce on top of roll-ups. 
3. Bake until sauce is bubbly and golden, 20 minutes. 
4. Garnish with more parsley before serving.  Yum Yum!
5. Thanks Delish for the recipe...kids loved it!

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

 Mouthwatering, juicy chicken cooked in your crockpot makes any day an easy dinner day. We are using boneless, skin-on chicken thighs to get a crispy sear prior to cooking them in a honey, garlic sauce. Serves 4 Total Time: 3 hours and 10 minutes 

Ingredients:

8 boneless skin-on chicken thighs 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Sauce:

3/4 cup ketchup 

1/3 cup soy sauce 

1/3 cup honey 

3 tablespoons minced garlic 

1/2 teaspoon onion powder 

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 

1 teaspoon dried parsley 

1/4 teaspoon dried mustard 

Garnish: 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, optional 

Directions:

In a medium size skillet on med/high heat add the oil. Season thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. When heated add the thighs skin side down and sear until golden. Place thighs skin side up in crockpot.

In a medium size bowl add all the sauce ingredients. Whisk together and pour over chicken. Cook 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low. Check internal temperature of chicken to see if it has reached 165F. 

Remove to serving platter. Spoon sauce over chicken and top with freshly chopped parsley, if using. 

Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole

 This Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole is best with leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. Only 40 minutes from prep to table, this recipe will become a staple in your household. If you don’t have cream of chicken soup you can substitute cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup instead. Add broccoli 🥦 or peas 🫛, to make this recipe your own. Serves 4-6

Ingredients: 

4 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped 

1 can cream of chicken soup 

1 cup sour cream 

1 tablespoon dried minced onions 

2 teaspoons minced garlic 

1 teaspoon onion powder 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1 sleeve ritz crackers, crushed 

1/2 cup melted butter 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl combine the first 8 ingredients (also any vegetables).  Spread evenly in the baking dish. Top with the ritz crackers. Drizzle the melted butter over the crackers. Bake 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Enjoy! 

Mediterranean Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives

 This Mediterranean Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives, that’s Kalamata olives is packed with Greek flavors. And it’s my What’s for Dinner tonight! You can use breasts or thighs for this recipe just remember per serving it’s usually 1 breast vs 2 thighs. But if your like me 1 thigh is enough as long as I have a couple sides and tonight it will be a Baby Potatoes Mushroom Bake and applesauce (I love something cold with a hot meal). 

If you are planning this meal it requires you to marinate the chicken for a minimum of an hour, but preferably overnight. I usually just use a vinegar and oil dressing and some dried oregano. Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs 

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes 

1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives 

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons chopped parsley 

1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

After marinating preheat oven to 350F. Place chicken in a baking dish. In a bowl combine the remaining ingredients and spoon evenly over the chicken. Bake 30-45 minutes depending on breasts or thighs. I’d start checking the chicken’s internal temperature at the 30 minute mark. If it reaches 165F they are done. 

Chicken Thighs with Mango Chutney

 With this recipe you need to have boneless, but with skins on chicken thighs. Why? Because you are going to press the chutney under the skin along with the goat cheese. Sounds like fun in the kitchen tonight! Make sure you crisp up the skin before baking. Only 7.8g carbs! To keep this meal lite serve with various vegetables like: asparagus, broccoli or green beans. Even a side of berries would be great as they are on the keto diet and are under 11g carbs. Serves 3-6. *tip: the 7.8g carbs is based on 1 thigh per serving. On a standard serving it’s usually 1 breast vs 2 thighs. 

Ingredients: 

6 boneless skin-on chicken thighs 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1/2 cup mango chutney 

You can buy mango chutney from various stores like: Meijer, Kroger or even on line from Amazon 

6 oz goat cheese 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

Directions: 

Loosen the skin on the chicken thighs. Season with salt and pepper. Evenly divide the chutney and goat cheese between the thighs. Press the chutney under the skin, then press the goat cheese over the chutney. Stretch skin over thigh and secure with a toothpick.

Preheat oven to 375F. 

In a skillet on med/high heat add the olive oil. Add the thighs skin down and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F.