Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

CRANBERRY PECAN CHICKEN SALAD

1/3 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
2 cups chopped or shredded chicken
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup diced Granny Smith apple
1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
11/2 tablespoons diced onion
salt and pepper

Mix together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and rosemary.

In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, pecans, apple, cranberries and onion. Toss with dressing until well combined.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for at least an hour until ready to serve.


By the way, I cheated and used canned chicken and I'm okay with that!!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I know, everyone else in the world already has a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip. I have eaten this many times, but never made my own. This is a compilation of several recipes found around the internet, made with proportions to my liking.


BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

1 (8 ounce) package of light cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup chunky blue cheese salad dressing
1/2 cup hot wing sauce (Frank’s)
2 (10 ounce) cans premium white chunk chicken (Tyson)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese with next 3 ingredients. Then stir in half of the shredded cheddar. Move mixture into baking dish.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, uncovered. Then top with remaining cheddar and bake 10 more minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips and celery sticks. It was surprisingly good with the celery sticks!

Chicken Tortilla Stack

This is my version of a Pampered Chef recipe from many years ago. You could easily adjust to use your favorite Mexican flavors.

I used extra large flour tortillas, refried black beans, shredded cooked chicken, sliced black olives, chunky salsa and shredded cheddar cheese. There are three layers, in that order, of all those ingredients. Then I topped it with one last flour tortilla, baked it at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Once it was out of the oven, I added more cheddar cheese, diced tomato, chopped avocado, a few olive slices and some sour cream. Slice it carefully and serve.

Some great options might be to use ground beef, shredded smoked pork.... maybe regular 'pinto' refried beans... enchilada sauce poured over? White cheese sauce with jalapenos?

Apricot Almond Chicken Salad

Here's the other dish I made for the Easter Picnic last weekend. Chicken salad or shrimp salad work great in these tiny pitas as an appetizer.



APRICOT ALMOND CHICKEN SALAD

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup apricot preserves
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
salt
black pepper
3/4 cup chopped or sliced almonds
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used canned chicken this time)

Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Add almonds, apricots and chicken, stir some more.

The measurements here are just estimates, adjust to your taste. Serve in pitas, on crackers, on a salad, in a sandwich.....

Chipotle Chicken Sausage Pasta

You can see from this blog that I do a lot of cooking from recipes. I rarely just throw things together and make a dinner. But, that is just what I did with this meal. I bought the chicken sausage with no real plans for it, scoured the pantry, found black beans and tomatoes. Then I sort of copied the sauce from another recipe.

I'm really proud of this! It was delicious!


CHIPOTLE CHICKEN SAUSAGE PASTA
Not a Real Housewife Original

8 - 10 ounces linguine
12 ounces Johnsonville Smoked Chicken Sausage with cheese and chipotle peppers, sliced
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can fire roasted Tex Mex style diced tomatoes (similar to Ro-tel), drained well
2/3 cup milk
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon Cajun/Creole seasoning (like Zatarain's or Tony Chachere's)

Cook linguine according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cook the chicken sausage in a little oil until browned.

Mix together milk and cream cheese (I heated this mixture in the microwave just enough to melt the cream cheese). Add this to the browned sausage. Add black beans and tomatoes. Stir and heat until warmed throughout.

Add the pasta and stir carefully.

Yield: 4 servings

Chicken with Pecan Sauce

This is a new recipe I tried for the first time last night. It turned out great, really delicious.

I have changed the recipe below to reflect how I will make it next time. The sauce was so good, I wanted more, so I doubled all of the sauce ingredients. Next time, I should have sauce for the chicken and some extra to spoon over rice or pasta.

CHICKEN WITH PECAN SAUCE
recipe from Southern Living

1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup butter, divided
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts , pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons cider vinegar (if you don't love cider vinegar as much as me, maybe just use 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Heat pecans and 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Remove from skillet.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Cook chicken in hot oil in skillet over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and done. Transfer to a serving platter. Top with pecans.

Add chicken broth to skillet, and cook 5 minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Add brown sugar, vinegar, and thyme, and cook 6 -8 minutes or until sugar is melted and sauce is slightly thickened. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Serve sauce over chicken.

Yield: 2 chicken breasts and enough sauce to cover chicken and some rice or pasta

Cinnamon Chicken with Pumpkin Grits

I found this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It was a reader submitted, prize winning recipe. You can see a prettier picture here. I made some little changes - only 2 chicken breasts for us, same amount of grits for a larger serving size, no fresh sage in mine.

Yummy!

CINNAMON CHICKEN WITH PUMPKIN GRITS

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
cooking spray
salt
black pepper
cinnamon
2 cups water
2/3 cup quick-cooking grits
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 /2 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Arrange chicken breast halves in a small baking pan. Spray chicken with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt, pepper and cinnamon (both sides).

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Meanwhile, in medium saucepan bring water to boiling. Stir in grits until combined. Stir in pumpkin, sage, and salt to taste. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in cheese.

To serve, spoon grits onto dinner plates and top with chicken breast halves.

Yield: 2 servings

Chicken Bruschetta

This is a delicious Cooking Light recipe that I found on myrecipes.com.

CHICKEN BRUSCHETTA

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 (8-ounce) package pre-sliced mushrooms
1 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup chopped red onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped plum tomato (or quartered cherry tomatoes)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Combine garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl; sprinkle chicken with garlic powder mixture.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté the chicken over medium-high heat, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add mushrooms, zucchini, onion, remaining salt and minced garlic; sauté 3 - 5 minutes to suit your taste. Add 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, tomato, basil, and vinegar; sauté 3 minutes.

Serve the vegetable mixture over chicken; sprinkle with cheese.

Note: The original recipe called for 4 chicken breasts, the veggies served as just a topping. I used only 2 chicken breasts and cooked the same amount of veggies so there would be enough to count as a vegetable side dish as well. I served with orzo pasta.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

Another great recipe I found at Cassie Craves. That girl knows what I like to eat!

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU BAKE

2 cups cooked chopped chicken (about 2 large boneless breasts)

8 ounces diced ham

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

1 box stuffing mix for chicken

butter and water called for on stuffing box

Cook stuffing according to package directions; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, ham, cream of chicken soup, and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Go light on the salt, since the cream of chicken soup and ham are pretty salty on their own.)

Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over the chicken mixture. Carefully add stuffing in an even layer on top of the cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Yield: about 6 servings

Caribbean Jerk Chicken Chili

Another addition to the growing soup and chili chapter of my cookbook...

This has a great combination of spices reminiscent of Jerk chicken that we've had in Jamaica. I just served it with some cornbread, it made for a very filling meal.

CARIBBEAN JERK CHICKEN CHILI

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper ( I used a green one)

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded (about 6 cups)

4 cups chicken broth

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can black beans, partially drained

1 (15 oz) can Great Northern beans, partially drained

2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ounce semisweet chocolate

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (totally forgot to add the cilantro, even though I had it in the fridge!)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, thyme, cinnamon, and allspice. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add chicken and stir to coat with spices. Add broth, tomatoes, beans, jalapenos, garlic and chocolate. Bring to a boil, cover partially, reduce heat, and simmer to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.

Stir in cilantro and serve.

Yield: at least 6 servings, depending on size

I found this recipe at Smells Like Home.

Mexican Chicken Ravioli Casserole

School is keeping me very busy, so I haven't had time to try many new recipes. Here's one that we really liked. It's a similar concept to this Mexican Ravioli Bake that I've made before.

MEXICAN CHICKEN RAVIOLI CASSEROLE

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup green salsa
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
2/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 (9 ounce) packages refrigerated chicken ravioli
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (Mexican blend or other)

In one bowl, mix soup, salsa and cumin.

In another bowl, mix beans, tomatoes and cilantro.

Layer 1/3 cup of soup mixture in bottom of a lightly greased 9 inch baking dish. Arrange one third of ravioli over soup mixture. Top with one-third of bean mixture, one third of remaining soup mixture and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers of ravioli, bean mixture, soup mixture and cheese twice. (That's the directions from the original recipe. Mine did not come out firm enough to cut in squares and see the layers, so next time, I'll just mix it all in a big bowl first.)

Bake covered with foil at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes or until bubbly at edges. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Campbell's.

Indonesian Chicken

This is a recipe I found on myrecipes.com. It's kind of spicy, but very flavorful. In other words, it doesn't burn your mouth, and you can taste all the different flavors from the marinade.

INDONESIAN CHICKEN

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Remove from marinade and grill. (That's all I can say about the grilling, Eddie is in charge of that part!)

Mexican Jambalaya

This recipe came from Family Circle Magazine. They called it Mexican Brown Rice Caserole. I've renamed it because it reminds me alot of Jambalaya but with Mexican flavors.

The magazine suggested Aidells chicken sausage with habaneros. I used Bistro Sensations chicken sausage with habaneros and monterey jack cheese.

MEXICAN JAMBALAYA

1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 cup brown rice
11/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1 package (12 ounces) chicken sausage with habaneros, cut into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons
1 1/2 cups water
chopped cilantro
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese

Stir together onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, rice, chili powder, oregano, jalapeño, sausage and water in slow cooker bowl. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 ½ hours or LOW for 5 hours.

Stir in cilantro; serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Asian Chicken Salad

No real recipe here, just a combination of ingredients that I use to make an Asian style chicken salad.

Lettuce
Cucumber
Red bell pepper
Green onion
Pineapple tidbits (canned)
Mandarin oranges (canned)
Cashews
Chicken marinated in Teriyaki sauce and grilled
Dressing made by combining Ginger dressing and Poppyseed dressing (see below, doesn't have to be citrus poppyseed, regular/plain poppyseed is actually my usual for this)

Bourbon Chicken

This is based on a recipe that I found at Food.com. I adjusted a little so that we'd have more sauce, you know, to give the rice some flavor, too. I suppose you can add vegetables into the meat mixture, we just had them on the side this time. This was delicious - sweet and spicy.

BOURBON CHICKEN

1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon fresh minced ginger

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup bourbon (can substitute apple juice)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

Mix first 9 ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Add liquid mixture, and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until liquid is thick and reduced by about half.

Serve over rice.

Yield: 2 servings

Chicken with Sun-dried Tomatoes

This was a quick and easy recipe from Campbell's Kitchen. Just follow that link to the recipe, I'm too lazy to type right now.

I used fresh basil from my garden which made this so delicious. The red wine vinegar seems to add a 'gourmet' taste to the cream of mushroom. You knew it had 'cream of something' didn't you? It's a Campbell's recipe after all.

Creamy Red Pepper & Basil Penne w/ Chicken

Thank you to Cassie Craves for another great recipe!

I adjusted this just a bit by adding fresh garlic. Hubby was really impressed and loved it!

Creamy Red Pepper and Basil Penne with Chicken

2 cups penne pasta, uncooked

1 (7 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, well drained

4 ounces softened cream cheese
2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup fresh basil

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

salt and pepper

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, blend red peppers, cream cheese, garlic, basil, milk and parmesan cheese in a food processor until smooth.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook in olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until cooked through, stirring frequently.

Stir in pepper puree; simmer on medium heat 5 minutes or until chicken is done and mixture is heated through, stirring frequently.

Drain pasta. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle each serving with additional chopped basil, if desired.

Chicken with White Wine & Mushrooms

A recipe from Southern Living... a few years ago... been in the file for a while.



CHICKEN WITH WHITE WINE & MUSHROOMS

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 (16 ounce) package linguine
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup dry white wine
1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook chicken breasts 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken; cover and keep warm. Reserve drippings in skillet.

Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, and sauté 8 minutes. Add wine, and stir to loosen particles from bottom of skillet; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add soup, and whisk vigorously until smooth.

Arrange pasta on serving plate; top with chicken and sauce.

Yield: 4 servings

Sundried Tomato Pesto Chicken

This chicken was an experiment that turned out really good.

As usual, I pounded the boneless, skinless chicken breast to about 1/4 or 1/2 inch. They just cook faster and more evenly that way. I coated the chicken with sundried tomato pesto (Classico brand), then Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs. I baked it at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.

The side dish was something new, too. It's pearled couscous, basil & herb flavor (I think), a packaged mix by Near East brand. It was really good.

Mediterranean Pasta

I've had this recipe in my personal cookbook for about 15 years. It is my version of a dish from a restaurant in Athens, GA. I don't think I've made it since I moved away from Athens in 1997. I'm not sure why.

I guess when I looked at the ingredients more recently, it seemed like it was missing something, like maybe it needed more sauce?

Now, I'm really sad that I haven't been making it on a regular basis. Eddie even asked me why I had been hiding this dish from him. Not to worry, sweetie, we will be adding this to the rotation.



MEDITERRANEAN PASTA

8 ounces cooked thin spaghetti
1/4 cup pitted and sliced Greek olives
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sliced or chopped banana peppers
3 tablespoons basil pesto
1 tablespoon olive oil (adjust oil based on how much oil is in your pesto)

After draining pasta, combine all ingredients in same pot. Return to stove and cook a few minutes until other ingredients are warm.

Yield: 2 - 3 main dish servings

Optional: Top with a grilled or sautéed chicken breast seasoned with Greek or Italian seasoning.