Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

via Southern Living

This chicken and rice casserole is a tried-and-true favorite.  It is perfect for a freezer meal or a dinner to take to someone.  It is also easy to keep these ingredients on hand to make this in a pinch.  It is a wonderful comfort food!  You can find the original recipe here.

• 1 packages sliced almonds

• 2 boxes fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix (Uncle Ben's)

• 1/4 cup butter

• 4 celery ribs, chopped

• 2 medium onions, chopped

• 5 cups chopped cooked chicken

• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup

• 2 cans chopped water chestnuts, drained (I omit this)

• 1  8 oz sour cream

• 1 cup milk

• 1/2 tsp. table salt

• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

• 4 cups (16 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

• 2 cups breadcrumbs

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Bake almonds in a single layer for 4-6 minutes until toasted.

2.  Prepare rice mixes according to directions.

3.  Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add celery and onions.  Saute til tender.  Stir in chicken, soup, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, rice, and 3 cups of cheese.  

4.  Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 10"x15" pan or 2 11x7" pans.  Top with breadcrumbs.

5.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.  Sprinnkle with remaining 1 cup cheese and toasted almonds and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Lemon Chicken Thighs

This was an easy one-pan meal that went straight from stove top to oven.  The Instagram account Cheese Gal showed it here, and it is a variation on the original Ina Garten recipe.  

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons dried (or fresh) thyme

1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds (optional - I didn't use)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup good olive oil

2 lemons, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 yellow onions, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick (I only used 1 onion)

6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced (I used minced garlic from the jar)

4 tablespoons of salted butter, sliced

6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

1/2 cup dry white wine

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450. Slice lemons, onions and garlic and set aside 6 lemon slices separately. Whisk together olive oil, thyme, 1 tbsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Scatter onions, lemon and garlic slices on the bottom of a 12” cast iron pan.

Set chicken thighs on top, skin side down. Brush olive oil mixture on the bottom of the chicken, then flip over. Pat chicken skin dry with paper towels, tuck lemon slices under each thigh skin, and then brush on remaining oil herb mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and drop in pads of butter.

Put into the oven for 25-30 minutes. Then, pour white wine in the pan between chicken thighs, being careful not to pour on top of chicken skin so that it stays crispy. Bake for another 10 minutes. Take out and let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Quick Pot Pie

I saw this simple recipe idea on Instagram, and used it to put together a meal using our Thanksgiving leftovers.  I want to give it a permanent place on the blog since it is such a versatile way to use leftovers.

The recipe as written would fill a large cast iron skillet.  I cut it in half for just the two of us, and used a medium size pan.  I used fresh herbs since I had some leftover from the turkey.  All the spices are approximate...just a sprinkle will do.

INGREDIENTS

Approx 1/3 cup butter

Garlic

Sage

Thyme

1/2 - 1 onion

1/3 cup flour

1 cup milk

3 cups broth

Frozen or leftover vegetables

Cooked chicken, ham or turkey

Topping:  refrigerated biscuits, puff pastry, pie crust or stuffing

*In a cast iron or oven safe skillet, melt the butter.  Saute the onion and garlic.  Add sage and thyme.  

*Add the flour, mixing well to cook it and mix with butter mixture.

*Slowly add the milk, and then the broth.  Stir frequently for a few minutes as it thickens.

*Add the vegetables and meat.

*Top with pastry or biscuits.

*Bake in 350 oven until brown, about 15 minutes.

One Skillet Chicken Chili Bake

Photo from Half Baked Harvest

I recently made this recipe for a chicken chili from Half Baked Harvest.  I love following her on Instagram, as well as her blog/website.  She has a new cookbook coming out later this month!  Anyway, as I often do with recipes, I made a few changes to simplify things.  Be sure to click over to look at the original recipe, but here is my "easy" version.  This would be an easy recipe to mix and match flavors and ingredients!

2 T olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 pound boneless chicken breast or thighs, cubed

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 fresh jalapeno chopped OR jar jalapeno chopped

1 t paprika

1 t chili powder

2 t ground cumin

salt and pepper

1 cup rice

1 can green enchilada sauce

1 can white beans, drained

1 cup shredded cheese (pepper jack, colby jack or cheddar)

-----

1.  Preheat oven to 425F.

2.  In a large skillet (I used cast iron,) heat olive oil over high heat.  When oil shimmers, add the onion and chicken.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic, jalapeno, spices, and pince of salt and pepper.  Cook 5-10 minutes.  

3.  Stir in rice, cook for 1-2 minutes to toast.  Add 2 cups water.  Bring to boil.  Place lid on skillet and turn down heat to lowest setting.  Allow rice to cook 15 minutes.  

4.  Stir in green sauce and beans.

5.  Remove from heat and sprinkle cheese over top.  Bake for 15-20 minutes at 425F.

Easy Skillet Enchiladas

Southern Living is one of my favorite places to find recipes.  This recipe for Skillet Chicken Enchiladas in last month's magazine looked quick and easy.  I have a chicken enchilada recipe that I love, and this looked similar except - no rolling the tortillas!  And it's all done in one pan from stove to oven. 

This quick skillet dinner was so delicious!  It's also one of those dishes that tastes even better as leftovers.  If you've ever had King Ranch Casserole, this is similar but much faster.  Give it a try!

Greek Chicken

Here's a delicious recipe from this month's Taste of Home Magazine.  It might not look that appetizing in the picture, but it was certainly delicious!  Here's the recipe I made with just a few modification.  Click here to see the original recipe on their website.

3 t olive oil (divided)

1 lb chicken tenderloins

2 medium tomatoes, sliced

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 T capers, drained (I omitted)

1 T lemon-pepper seasoning (I omitted)

1 T salt-free Greek seasoning (I used regular Greek seasoning)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup water

2 T chopped fresh olives

1.  In a skillet, heat 2 tsp oil over medium heat.  Saute chicken 7-9 minutes.  Remove and keep warm.

2.  In same skillet, heat remaining oil.  Add next six ingredients.  Cook until onion is translucent.  Add garlic.  Add water; bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 3-4 minutes.  

3.  Return chicken to skillet.  Add olives.  Simmer about 3 more minutes.  

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Caprese Stuffed Balsamic Chicken

Michael sent me a recipe for Caprese Stuffed Balsamic Chicken from Cafe Delites.  We are trying to eat healthy, cutting out most sweets and bread.  So we are grilling a lot and always on the look out for somewhat healthy recipes that look good.

I made just a few modifications, and this is what I came up with.  The technique of browning the chicken on the stovetop and then finishing with the skillet in the oven was a real winner.

4 chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

1 t dried oregano (I used Italian seasoning instead of oregano and basil)

1 t dried basil

4 fresh mozzarella slices 

4 tomato slices

Pesto (optional)

12 fresh basil leaves

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 T brown sugar (I used about 1 teaspoon)

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Cut a pocket about 3/4 of the way through the chicken breast.

2.  Season chicken with salt, pepper and dried herbs.  

3.  Fill the pocket with some pesto, basil leaves, mozzarella slice, and tomato.  Seal with toothpicks.

4.  Heat olive oil in oven-safe skillet.  Brown chicken for about 2 minutes on each side.

5.  While chicken is cooking, mix together garlic, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.  Pour around the chicken and simmer.

6.  Put skillet in preheated oven and cook about 10-15 minutes.  

7.  Remove toothpicks and drizzle with pan juices.

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Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe for Chicken Pot Pie is a combination of two that I found online.

First up, I used Six Sisters' Stuff as a reference.  I liked the easy way out of using a pie crust...top with refrigerated biscuits instead.

My second reference was my old standby, the Pioneer Woman.  I liked her homemade sauce and sauteed vegetables.

So here's what I came up with.  It was SO delicious.

I love this kind of recipe because you could add leftovers that you might have on hand.  Don't have biscuits?  Use a puff pastry on top.  Don't have a pie crust?  Whip up some Bisquik biscuits to drop on top.  Leftover green beans?  Throw those in too! You get the idea.

White Chicken Chili

Another recipe from this month's Taste of Home magazine - White Turkey Chili.  I had some chicken in the freezer so I used that instead.  This was very easy and delicious!

Here are the ingredients...mostly things you probably already have in your pantry.  I forgot to put out the little can of green chiles in this picture.  I also didn't add cilantro since that is not my favorite flavor.

I also mixed in some corn that I had leftover from a side the night before.  It was really good with the corn.   I served it with sour cream, cheese and guacamole on the top.

2 cans white beans
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups cubed chicken or turkey (cooked)
1 1/3 cups milk
1 4 oz. can green chilies (chopped)
1 T dried onion
1 t garlic powder
1 t ground cumin
1 t dried oregano
1 T cilantro (optional)
Sour cream and other toppings

In a large saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

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Alice Springs Chicken

Have you ever eaten at Outback Steakhouse?  We used to go there all the time when the kids were little and we lived much closer to an Outback.  My favorite menu item was the Alice Springs Chicken.  Chicken, mushrooms, bacon and cheese - not very healthy, but so delicious.  And a honey mustard dipping sauce to go with it.

I have been making an improvised version of this for years, but recently found a "real" recipe.  It was so good and really easy.

Start with some mushrooms...

Add your seasoned chicken breasts and some bacon...

Mix up a simple homemade honey mustard sauce...

Add the sauce and some cheese...

Bake to golden cheesy goodness...

Here is the recipe from The Dinner Mom.  It's a winner!

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Seasoning Salt
Honey Mustard Sauce
4 slices bacon, cooked
1 cup cheese

-Layer mushrooms on bottom of pan.

-Add chicken and sprinkle with seasoning salt.

-Top with bacon and some of the honey mustard sauce.  Save some for dipping when you serve.

-Top with cheese.

-Bake approximately 30 minutes uncovered at 350F.

Honey Mustard Sauce

3/4 c mayo

1/4 c honey

2 T Dijon Mustard

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

This recipe for a marinade was definitely my favorite this week.  It was a big hit!  It is originally from Sheaffer at Pinterest Told Me To, and I found it on the Mix and Match Mama blog.

I marinated chicken breasts in this for over 24 hours.  Then we grilled on a charcoal grill.  The chicken was so moist and flavorful!  I think this would also be a delicious way to marinate pork tenderloin.

The ingredients couldn't be simpler.

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sherry (I omitted this)
• 1 6-oz can of pineapple juice
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 T sugar
• 1/4 t garlic powder

Put it all in a bag with the meat.  Marinate, turning periodically.  Grill!

I topped the chicken with green onions and pineapple like Mix and Match Mama did...delicious!

Chicken Apricot Panini

Welcome back to my long-neglected cooking blog!  I'm going to give it another go.  I am cooking a little more often now that we are back in the USA.

It is nice to be back in the US with less expensive food, but I definitely got more of an appreciation for organic and locally grown food from the UK.  It has changed the way I buy and prepare food now that I am back home.  I am not taking an "all or nothing" approach, but just trying to be more aware of the foods I buy and cook.

This panini is from the Pioneer Woman's Food from my Frontier cookbook.  I found a similar recipe on her website, but it is not quite the same one that is in the cookbook.  It was so easy, and absolutely delicious.  This is the kind of recipe I love because I can easily customize it for picky eaters in our family.  We all had a chicken panini, but some had the apricot spread, some had cheese, and some ate it plain.

I used a technique that the recipe in the cookbook recommended.  I butterflied the chicken breasts or cut them in half horizontally.  This made them very thin and they cooked quickly.  I had never tried this before, and it basically gave us twice the meat for our meal.  In addition, the thinner chicken breasts fit better on the bread for a panini.

Here are a few changes I made to the recipe.

• I sauteed the red onions to make their flavor a little milder.
• I added provolone cheese to the sandwich.
• I used bread from a bakery instead of crusty French bread.  You definitely need a hearty bread for a panini.

Here's the simplified recipe.  You can see more details on the Pioneer Woman Website.

2 boneless chicken breasts

Canola oil 

Butter

Salt and Pepper

12-16 fresh sage leaves

1/4 cup apricot preserves

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Bread

Thinly sliced red onion

Cut chicken in half horizontally.

Heat canola oil and 2 T butter in skillet.  Brown both sides of chicken.  Put sage leaves and red onion in oil.

Mix preserves and mayo to make a spread.  

Build sandwich with chicken, optional cheese, red onions, spread and sage.  Put butter on outside of bread.  Grill on the panini press.

Chicken with Goat Cheese and Peppers

This was a super easy recipe I made based on a recent issue of Everyday Food.  Their version called for pepperoncini, but I substituted roasted bell peppers because that is what I found in the grocery store.  The roasted peppers were delicious and convenient, sold in olive oil in a jar.

I am a big goat cheese fan, so I thought this would be delicious...and it was.  I am also turning into a big fan of cast iron cooking.  The finish on the meat is so tasty in the cast iron skillet.  The original recipe can be found on the Everyday Food website.

Photo from Everyday Food

• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pepperoncini (I used about 1/2 cup of the chopped roasted bell peppers.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (I used good old boneless skinless breasts.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, mash goat cheese with a fork until smooth. Stir in peppers and thyme and season with salt and pepper. With a paring knife, cut a 1-inch horizontal slit in thick end of each chicken breast. Using your fingers, create a deep pocket. Tightly pack each pocket with about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture.
2. Heat a large cast-iron or other heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high. (I added some olive oil to the skillet.)  Pat chicken dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and arrange in skillet, skin side down.  (I flipped the chicken over once while on the stovetop.)   Cook 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until chicken is cooked through and skin is golden and crisp, 18 to 20 minutes. Flip chicken over in skillet and let rest 3 minutes before serving.

Smoky Chicken Panini

In an effort to motivate myself to cook more, I am planning to cook my way through the magazines that I get in the mail.  The highlight of my week is when Michael brings our "American" mail home from the office.  Hopefully, this enthusiasm for my new magazines will overflow to some enthusiasm for the kitchen.

My first endeavor was a Smoky Chicken Panini from Southern Living.  It was yummy!  We do not have a panini press, so we just put a cast iron skillet on top of the sandwich as it cooked in another skillet.

On the side, I made a Green Bean Pasta Salad.  It was pretty good.

• 4 skinned and boned chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 8 sourdough bread slices
• 1/2 pound smoked Gouda cheese, sliced (I didn't use smoked)
• 1 cup loosely packed baby spinach (I used rocket (arugula) instead.)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes (I left these off.)
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

• 1. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken, covered with grill lid, 7 to 10 minutes on each side or until done. Let stand 10 minutes, and cut into slices.
• 2. Stir together mayonnaise and next 2 ingredients. Spread mixture on 1 side of each bread slice. Top 4 bread slices with chicken, Gouda, and next 2 ingredients. Top with remaining bread slices, mayonnaise mixture sides down. Brush sandwiches with melted butter.
• 3. Cook sandwiches, in batches, in a preheated panini press 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown.

Chicken Chinese

I have been in a major cooking slump since moving to the UK.  At first grocery shopping seemed to be overwhelming.  I made lots of prepared foods - we seemed to eat lots of Ragu and marinated chicken breasts!

Now I have no excuse!  We have been here 7 months, and I am used to the grocery store.  So I am trying to actually make a menu and cook with real recipes!

No pictures on some of these recipes, because I am just trying to get caught up on posting.

I thought I'd get some motivation by picking a different cookbook each week and trying several recipes from them.  This week I pulled out one of my oldest cookbooks:  The Star of Texas Cookbook from the Junior League of Houston.

This recipe was very easy!  I like that it uses ingredients I would likely have on hand.  It was delicious served with rice and some pre-cut stir fry vegetables.  I doubled the recipe and froze the extra chicken and marinade in a freezer ziploc.

Chicken Chinese

4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup soy sauce (I used lite)

4 T Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350F.  Arrange chicken in baking dish.  Combine remaining ingredients.  Baste chicken with sauce while baking 45 minutes.  This can also be grilled.

Variation:  Add 2T orange juice and 1t orange peel or 1T honey to the marinade.  (I added all of these to make it more sweet-and-sour.)

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

Photo from myrecipes.com

I have been searching for a yummy chicken enchilada recipe that has a red sauce.  My old-standby (Southern Living Chicken Enchiladas) uses a green enchilada sauce that I have not been able to find here in the UK.

I found a great recipe on Buns in My Oven.  (She has great photos so go check it out.  Sadly, I didn't take any pics!)

It must be a popular recipe because she linked it back to another blog who linked back to another blog etc.  I think the original might be from Food Network, but it used salsa instead of enchilada sauce.  I think I would prefer the enchilada sauce.

Has anyone found Monterrey Jack cheese in the UK?  I haven't yet, so all my cheese was delicious British cheddar.  (ha ha!)

• 5 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 10 ounces enchilada sauce 
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed 
• 4 oz. diced green chiles (I didn't have these, so my enchiladas were extra mild.)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 8 8-inch flour tortillas

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray.

Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, and 1/2 of the enchilada sauce. Stir in 1/2 cup of each type of cheese.

In a second bowl toss together the chicken, corn, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, green chiles, and half of the scallions. Add the chicken mixture to the cheese mixture and combine well.

Spread about half of the remaining enchilada sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.

Spoon the filling into each tortilla, roll the tortilla up, and place in the baking dish with the seam down. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the filled tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions and serve.

Roast chicken

Photo from epicurious.com

Why have I not tried to roast a chicken before?!  I frequently buy rotisserie chicken from the store, but have just never thought to try to cook a bird myself.  I guess I was a little intimidated.

I recently saw a post from Denise at Wholesome Mommy about how to roast a chicken...I decided to give it a try.  It was so easy and really delicious!  And very economical, especially considering I can use the leftover chicken for a casserole or chicken salad.

I added some new potatoes, along with the carrots and onions around the chicken.

Next time I will get some butcher's twine to "truss" the bird, tying the drumsticks up.  This helps the bird cook more evenly and keeps the breasts stay moist.   In the future, I want to try different herbs, and maybe some lemon too.

Other notes:  The cooking time and temperature were perfect for my roast chicken.  When trimming the fat, I accidentally cut some of the skin off of the breast.  So that area was a little dry.  Next time I will be more careful to leave all the skin intact so that the juices stay locked in.

What an easy meal!  I'm sure I'm the last one on the block to roast a chicken, but I highly recommend it if you haven't tried it.  I have been in the boneless/skinless rut for about 20 years now, so this was a wonderful change!

Here is the recipe from Wholesome Mommy.  She has lots of other great recipes and ideas for organic foods and introducing a "simpler" lifestyle a little at a time.

1 whole chicken
1 head of garlic cut crosswise
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 or 2 large onions, quartered
4 to 6 carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks
Olive Oil
Coarse (kosher) salt & fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers as needed and pat dry. Salt and pepper the inside cavity of the chicken. Put all the garlic inside the chicken and tie its legs together with kitchen string.

Place the onions and carrots in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss the vegetables to coat.

Place the chicken on top of the vegetables tucking its wing tips under the body. Baste the chicken with the butter.  Salt and pepper the outside of the chicken.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you check between the leg and thigh.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Photo from Taste of Home

These lettuce wraps were so good and very easy to make!  They are from Southern Plate.  This is Christy Jordan's website, and she has a new cookbook out right now.  I am browsing through it (checked out from the library), and I think I will buy it.  It is truly "down home" cooking.

This particular recipe is from her website, and it is not really typical of her Southern cooking style.  I made a few modifications, and we loved it!  This would be a fun way to use leftover chicken.

Changes I made:  I used pre-cooked grilled chicken breasts.  Also, I used the crispy chow mein noodles instead of the rice sticks.

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (can substitute leftover ckn or turkey – about three cups)
• 3 green onions
• Small can water chestnuts
• 1 Cup mushrooms
• 2 T brown sugar
• 3 T Soy Sauce
• Rice Sticks and oil to cook them in
• Head of lettuce to serve them in

In large skillet, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add chicken, cut into pieces, and cook while stirring until cooked through. While chicken is cooking, finely dice mushrooms, water chestnuts, and green onions. Remove chicken from heat after it is done and dice.

Combine soy sauce and brown sugar, stir well. Add chicken, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and green onions back to skillet. Stir in sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through.

Rice Sticks:

Place one to two inches of oil in a small sauce pot. Heat over medium heat for several minutes. Break off  a handful of rice noodles and drop into pot, immediately removing to a paper towel lined plate when they puff up.

Serve chicken mixture in lettuce leaves, topped with crunchy rice noodles. Eat like a taco.