Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

I was cleaning out old files and came across this recipe. I used to make this over and over again, years and years ago..I can still taste the deliciousness!

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

2/3 cup olive oil1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup torn basil lealeaves
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 cups cooked bowtie pasta
1/2 cup marinated dried tomatoes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnut, toasted
grated parmesan for garnish

Mix oil & vinegar. Reserve 2/3 for dressing

Grill chicken, turning and brushing often with remaining dressing. slice chicken into thin strips.

Toss macaroni, tomatoes, basil, chicken and walnuts with reserved dressing. Garnish with cheese. Serve immediately

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes

Serves 6

Chicken Rice-a-Roni Casserole

Growing up, Chicken and rice seemed like such a fancy meal. I made this this week, it has a couple extra ingredients to keep the rice from drying out. It got a thumbs up. I made double for leftovers and it was just as good the second day. Enjoy!

1 box chicken flavor Rice-A-Roni
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream (can use low fat)
3-4 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 (6 oz) can French fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Prepare Rice-A-Roni according to package directions. Add soup, sour cream and chicken. Stir to combine. Spread rice mixture in a lightly sprayed 9x13 pan. Top rice with fried onions. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Chicken Sausage Brown Rice Stuffing with Celery and Mushrooms

This recipe is so satisfing, in a soulful way. I wanted to eat more not because I was hungry, but because it warmed me from the inside. 1 cup is just over 100 calories and is so yummy!

1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 1/2 cups water
1 chicken bouillon
5 links raw sweet Italian chicken or turkey sausage
2 tbsp olive oil
6 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
16 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook brown rice in water and chicken bouillon according to package directions.

While the rice is cooking, in a large heavy saute pan cook chicken sausage on medium heat, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks until the sausage is cooked through and is browned. Set aside on a dish.

Add olive oil to the pan and add the onion,
sauté one minute, add the celery, salt and pepper to taste;
cookabout 12 minutes, until celery is soft.

Add mushrooms, more salt and pepper if needed and cook, stirring 5 minutes, then cook covered for 2 minutes, or until the mushrooms have released their juice and are cooked through. Add the sausage and the cooked rice to the pan and mix well.

Makes 10 1/2 cups.

Servings: 14 • Size: about 3/4 cup • Old Points: 2 pt • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 106.9 • Fat: 3.2 g • Carbs: 16.4 • Fiber: 1.3 • Protein: 3.6 g • Sugar: 1.0 • Sodium: 220 mg (without salt)

Salsa Chicken

This is what's in the oven for dinner tonight. The recipe comes from a blog that hosted a crockpotalooza a couple a days ago, some of the recipes look really good. Like this one, this one and this one for sure!

Salsa Chicken

2-4 Chicken breasts
Taco Seasoning
1 cup salsa
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz sour cream

Put chicken in crock pot and top with taco seasoning. Mix salsa and soup and put on top. Cook for 6-8 hours on low and then mix in the sour cream and let it get hot before serving. Serve over rice or in taco shells.

Honey-Glazed Chicken

This recipe comes from my sister, She's says it's really delicious...... and I believe her :)

Delicious Honey-Glazed Chicken

½ C Flour

1 tsp Salt

½ tsp Cayenne pepper

4 Chicken breasts (cut in bite sized pieces)

½ C Melted butter (set aside 4 TBS)

¼ C Packed brown sugar

¼ C Honey

¼ C Lemon juice

1 TBS Soy Sauce

In a bowl or bag, combine flour, salt, and cayenne pepper; add chicken pieces and dredge or shake to coat. Pour 4 TBS of butter into a 13x9” baking dish. Place chicken in dish, turning once to coat. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes. Combine brown sugar, honey, lemon juice, soy sauce and remaining butter; pour over chicken. Bake 45 minutes more or until chicken if tender, basting several times with pan drippings.

Bowtie Teriyaki Chicken Spinach Salad

This recipe makes 4 portions. Joe and I ate it for dinner last night and lunch today. It's even better the next day. I used bagged lettuce in place of the spinach and bow tie pasta, skipping the marinade step. I know my audience and what they like :)

8 oz. Bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled
1 bag of fresh baby Spinach
1 small can Mandarin Oranges
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1/2 can sliced Water Chestnuts
1/2 bunch Green Onions, chopped
1/2 cup Honey Roasted Peanuts or Cashews
1/2 cup fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
2 TBSP Sesame Seeds, toasted
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded I cooked the chicken in this sauce for extra flavor.

Dressing:
1/2 cup Canola Oil
1/3 cup White, Red, or Rice Wine Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
1/3 C. Teriyaki Sauce
2 1/2 TBSP Sugar

Directions:
Cook bowtie pasta according to package directions. Drain and cool while whisking the dressing together in a large bowl. Marinate cooked bowtie pasta and chicken in the dressing for 1 hour or longer in the fridge. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour the teriyaki sauce, pasta, and chicken over the salad. Toss together and serve. Enjoy!

Crescent Roll Casserole

Here's the first yummy recipe of the year-it makes alot. We ate the extra chicken on cracker and I may even like that better than the cooked version.


2 (8 ounce) cans Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup whipping cream
Filling-
4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
4 tablespoons butter (softened)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup onions (finely chopped)
2 large cooked chicken breasts (chopped)
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon seasoning salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2-4 tablespoons mayonnaise (or whipping cream)
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (for topping)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a casserole dish. In a saucepan mix whipping cream, ¾ cup of cheese, and chicken soup. Heat just until the cheese melts. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make the filling- in a bowl mix cream cheese and butter until smooth, add garlic powder. Add in the chopped chicken, onion and cheddar cheese. Mix until well combined. Add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (or whipping cream) mix to combine. You can add a little more if the mixture seems too dry. Season with seasoning salt and black pepper to taste.

Drizzle a small amount of the chicken soup mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish. Unroll the crescent rolls, and place 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture on top of each crescent triangle, then roll up starting at the thicker end. Place into the dish seam-side down. Repeat until all of the crescent rolls have been used up. Drizzle the remaining soup mixture on top and sprinkle 1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese on top. Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
(Makes 6 Servings)

Chicken Scallopine

This makes really great chicken- I might add artichokes and leave out the whipping cream next time and just have a butter/wine/caper sauce.

1/2 pound Linguine
2 whole Boneless, Skinless, Trimmed Chicken Breasts
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Flour
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
8 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Sliced Thin
1/4 cup Dry White Wine
1/4 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 lemon
4 cup Heavy Cream- I used 3 cups and it was plenty
1/2 teaspoon Capers
Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley
Parmesan Cheese, For Topping


Cook pasta according to package directions.

Flatten chicken breasts to uniform thickness. Salt and pepper both sides, then dredge in flour. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken breasts until golden brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Throw mushrooms into the pan and stir. Immediately pour in wine and chicken broth, and then squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon. Stir to de-glaze the pan, and then cook vigorously for 3-4 minutes, until sauce reduces.

Pour in cream and stir, then add capers and parsley and stir. Turn off heat. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Generously sprinkle Parmesan Cheese over the top. Enjoy!


Serves 2.

Honey-Herb Marinade

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 finely chopped green onions (4 medium)
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon or lime peel
1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound shrimp or chicken

Mix all ingredients together in either and bowl or resealable bag. Marinade meat for up to 8 hours, but no longer. Drain meat and discard marinade. Grill 5-7 minutes each side. Enjoy!

Lemon Cream Pasta with Chicken

Seriously-I could eat the sauce with a soup spoon. The noodles never totally absorbed in the chicken broth. So, I drained the noodles, saved the both and ladle 2-3 scoops back in with the heavy cream.

3 cups shredded or cubed Lemon Garlic Chicken
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 (16 ounce) package tube pasta (I used rigatoni)
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, season the chicken broth with the garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil and add lemon juice and pasta. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Stir chicken into cooked pasta, along with the cream, Parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir thoroughly before serving. Serves 4-6

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

If you like peanut-Asian flavors than you'll LOVE this!.. It's from The Pampered Chef and couldn't be tastier!

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice
3 garlic gloves, pressed
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro

In Classic 2-quart Batter Bowl; combine soy sauce, brown sugar, lime zest and juice. Using Garlic Press, press garlic into soy sauce mixture; mix well. Reserve 1/3 cup soy sauce mixture for Peanut Dipping Sauce; place in 1-quart Batter Bowl. Set aside.

Add chicken to remaining soy sauce mixture in 2-quart Batter Bowl. Cover; marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place chicken with marinade in 9-inch Square Baker. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Meanwhile, prepare Peanut Dipping Sauce by adding peanut butter and cilantro to reserved 1/3 cup soy sauce mixture in 1-quart Batter Bowl; whisk until smooth. Serve with chicken. Yields 12 servings.

Artichoke Chicken Casserole

A YUM-O casserole!

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 clove garlic
2 (81/2 oz.) cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
3 large whole chicken breasts, cooked, boned, and diced
1/2 cup dry white or sherry.
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Saute mushrooms and green onions in butter and garlic. Combine chicken and artichoke hearts in a 2 quarts casserole. Add mushrooms and green onions. Combine wine, salt, pepper, mayonnaise, sour cream, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Fold into chicken mixture and mix well. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve over rice or pasta. Serves 6. Enjoy!

Chicken Salad

It's not original, its not mine....but I love this recipe and the sweet cook who puts so much love into her food!

1 small bottle lite Italian salad dressing
2 cups real mayonnaise
1 cup celery, finely sliced
3/4 cup green onions, sliced thin
3/4 cup pecan pieces
4 - 6 chicken breasts (or 1/2 bag of chicken tenders)I usually eyeball it.
1 1/2 cup firm green or red grapes cut into quarters lengthwise.

In a crock pot, pour Italian dressing over frozen chicken breasts...did you hear that....frozen. Cook approximately 7 hours on LOW or until done. Cool and cut into bite-size pieces. Lightly mix together chicken and other ingredients. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Comfort food at it's finest. I made this alot when my kids were little. I leave out the peppers and onion, but I'm sure it would be de-lish with them in the mix.

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
12 ounces medium egg noodles, cooked and drained

In a large bowl, combine soup, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Add the chicken, onion, peppers, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, mix well. Add noodles and toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 10 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings. Enjoy!

Yummy-Tangy-3 Ingredient Chicken

This is one of those easy dishes you don't have to think about and it's a good thing....because I lost the recipe. I made it last night from memory and it was dee-e-lious!! It's simple and a crowd pleaser.

1 tbsp cooking oil
1 32 ounce jar salsa
1 package taco seasoning
1/2 cup peach or apricot preserves
1 lb chicken strips or 1 inch cubes

Put taco seasoning in a Ziploc bag. Add chicken and shake, shake shake until coated. In a large sauce pan add oil. When oil is hot add chicken. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side. In a bowl combine salsa and preserves. Add salsa mixture to chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Cashew Chicken

This recipe comes from one of Joe's "hometown" friends who now lives in Italy, lucky! She made it for company and says, "it was a hit with everyone." Thanks Patty!

1.5 pounds chicken breast
2-3 TBS soy sauce, divided
2 tsp corn starch, divided
1/3 cup cashews
1 red bell pepper
1 onion
1/2 pound green beans
3 TBS olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic
dash tabasco (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sherry or water


1) cut chicken breast into cubes, sprinkle with 1 tsp cornstarch add 1 TBS soy sauce and toss to coat. Cover and set aside

2) chop cashews, seed and chop pepper, peel and chop onion, peel and press garlic, wash and trim green beans and cut into 1.5" lengths. Mince ginger.

3) In a small bowl combine 1 tsp cornstarch with tabasco, sugar, lemon juice, sherry and 1 - 2 TBS soy sauce. Stir until cornstarch is completely dissolved with no lumps and set aside for use at the end of cooking.

3) Place large deep skillet or wok over medium high heat. When wok is hot add 1 TBS oil and chopped cashews. Stir until browned (1 minute) then remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

4) Add chicken to the wok (add 1 more TBS oil to wok if necessary) and cook, stirring about 3 minutes or until meat is no longer pink in the center. Remove to serving plate and set aside.

5) Add last TBS oil to wok, when oil is hot add the pressed garlic & ginger and saute' 1 minute. Then add the onions, bell peppers and green beans. Stir well and cover for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender and crisp.

6) Return the chicken to the wok with the vegetables, tossing to mix well. Stir in the soy-tabasco sauce and let boil, thicken. Stir in the cashews and combine all ingredients. Serve immediately with white rice

Chicken Piccata with Rice

This is a super fast, phase 2 or 3, one pot dinner for 2, South Beach recipe...with alot of flavor!

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves
3/4 cup quick-cooking brown rice
2/3 chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tbsp. parsley
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. capers, rinsed and chopped
1 tbsp. chopped toasted pine nuts or almonds

Coat a large no-stick skillet with PAM. Add oil and warm over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned on both sides. Add the rice, broth, oregano, parsley, lemon juice, and capers. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with pine nuts or almonds.

Chicken & Dumplings

True comfort food-this tastes like the real deal and is very easy. The dumplings could have cooked alittle longer- I think. How can you "tell" if they're really done? Next time I might try canned biscuits.

3 cups shredded chicken
1 10 3/4 ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup Bisquick
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup whole milk

In a large saucepan, combine chicken, soup, broth, 1 cup milk, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, over medium heat.

In a medium bowl, combine Bisquick, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/3 cup milk, stir just until moistened.

Drop dough, 1 teaspoon at a time, into boiling chicken mixture. Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered, 10 minutes. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes longer, or until dumplings are done.

Baked Chicken Cacciatore

1 chicken (3lbs) cut up- I use strips or breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon flour
12/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
12 ounces fresh mushrooms
1 large red pepper, cut into strips
3/4 cup chopped onions
1 can 14 1/2 ounce Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1/3 cup white wine
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove skin from chicken except wings; trim any visible fat. Cut chicken breasts crosswise in half.
2. Heat oil in large roasting pan in oven for 2 minutes. Combine, 1 teaspoon salt, oregano and pepper in large resealable plastic bag; add chicken pieces, tossing to coat well with flour mixture. Arrange chicken in hot roasting pan; roast 20 minutes.
3. Stir mushrooms, read pepper and onions in roasting pan with chicken;roast 15 minutes longer, stirring once.
4. Add tomatoes with their liquid, wine and remaining1/4 teaspoon salt, using a spoon to break up tomatoes. Roast 10 minutes longer unit chicken in cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

It's much easier than it sounds and really deeee...lish!

Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas

2 Tablespoons melted butter
6 flour tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you like)
diced red onion (can use green onion in it's place)
leftover slow cooker barbecue chicken or your own bbq chicken

Brush one side of the tortilla with melted butter. Place butter side down in frying pan. Sprinkle the entire tortilla with a light layer of cheddar cheese and sprinkle on some red onion. Cook over medium heat until under side is browned and crisp and cheese is melted. Top half the tortilla with warmed bbq chicken and fold tortilla in half, then cut in half so you have two triangles.