The Best Enchiladas!

 I just have to say, Amber's Kitchen is my new favorite source for recipes!  I started following her for bread recipes and then started branching out and trying her main dishes.  Every one I have tried has been our favorite!  Please check her out!  (Her cinnamon rolls are perfection!). With my husband's allergy to chicken, I really haven't had the nerve to try chicken enchiladas with turkey.  I just didn't think they would turn out right.  But after I saw the cream sauce to pour over these enchiladas, I just had to try them.  So I cooked my turkey all day in the crock pot so it was just falling apart and then added it to the recipe.  My husband looked pretty skeptical at first, but after the first bite gave me some of the biggest praise I've received since cooking without chicken, pork, and beef.  So I definitely had to save this recipe!

Ingredients:

*4 cups of shredded chicken breast
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon chili powder
*1/2 teaspoon cumin
*2 tablespoons honey
*2 granulated lime packets or the juice of one lime
*8-10 soft taco size tortillas
*1.5 cups grated cheese 
*4 tablespoons butter
*1/2 cup flour
*1 16 oz. jar salsa verde (or use a large jar of enchilada sauce)
*2 cups chicken broth
*1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and mix. Then add the salsa verde and whisk together until we’ll combined. 
2. When it starts to thicken, add the two cups of chicken broth and continue to whisk over medium heat for a couple of minutes. 
3. Add heavy cream and remove from heat. 
4. Season the shredded chicken with salt, chili powder, cumin, lime, and honey. Mix together. 
5. Layer tortillas with chicken, then cheese. Roll up. 
6. In a 9x13 inch baking pan, pour in half of the sauce. Set the rolled up enchiladas inside, then pour out and spread the other half of the sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. 
7. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, uncovered. Serve immediately!

BBQ Chicken dip

 I know this sounds like a really weird combination for a dip, but I promise it is so good!  My friend Jen brought it to a covered dish get-together and it was the thing that I had to keep going back to for more :). Now that my husband is allergic to chicken, I just leave it out and add more beans or corn and it is still really good! Thanks Spicy Southern Kitchen for such a fun dip!

Ingredients:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese softened
• 1/4 cup BBQ Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped chicken
• 1/3 cup corn
• 1/3 cup black beans
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• chopped red onion and cilantro
• additional BBQ Sauce for drizzling on top

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a casserole dish or small cast iron pan.
• In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, BBQ Sauce, and garlic powder until smooth.
• Stir in chicken, corn, black beans, green onions, and half of cheese.
• Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Place in oven for 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake 10 to 15 more minutes.
• Sprinkle with red onion and cilantro and drizzle with BBQ Sauce

Ritz chicken

 I know Ritz crackers are not that healthy, but my girls love them and they love this recipe.  It gets them to eat chicken and ask for more so I actually make it for them about once a month.  Thanks Six Sisters for a great kid-friendly recipe!

Ingredients 

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• black pepper to taste
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup butter
• 
  

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix together crackers, garlic salt, and black pepper.
3. Dip each chicken breast in the beaten eggs, and then dredge in the cracker mixture, coating it completely.
4. Place each coated chicken breast in a 9x13 pan.
5. Cut the butter up into small pieces, and put them over the top of the chicken breasts.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

We love Chicken Cordon Blue and this is a great recipe!  Thanks to Tasty Chicken for the recipe!

Ingredients

• FOR THE CASSEROLE:
• 1 whole Cooked Chicken, Bones Removed, Meat Diced Or Shredded (rotisserie Chicken Is Excellent, Should Be 5-6 Cups Of Chicken
• ½ pounds Very Thinly Sliced Deli-style Honey Ham, Rough Chopped
• ¼ pounds Thin Sliced Baby Swiss Cheese
• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• 3 cups Whole Milk (or A Bit More If Needed; Whole Milk Is Required)
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• ¾ teaspoons Salt
• ½ teaspoons Smoked Paprika
• ¼ teaspoons White Pepper
• FOR THE TOPPING:
• 1-½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• ½ teaspoons Seasoning Salt
• 1-½ teaspoon Crushed Dried Parsley

Preparation Instructions

(2/19/2015—Please note: due to comments about the salt content of this recipe, the amount of salt has been reduced.)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Put cooked shredded or diced chicken on the bottom of the baking dish. Rough chop the ham and scatter it over the top of the chicken. Lay the Swiss cheese on top of the ham.
For the sauce:
Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When butter is melted, quickly stir in the flour to form a smooth roux. Do not brown! Once the roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the cold milk while stirring briskly to make a smooth sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, smoked paprika and white pepper. Bring sauce just back to a low boil and turn off heat. Pour sauce evenly over the casserole, being certain to get some of the sauce around the edges of the pan.
For the topping:
Melt the butter in the microwave in a medium sized microwaveable bowl. Heat it for 30 seconds at a time and stop once it’s melted. Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir in the panko bread crumbs, crushed dried parsley. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
Bake casserole uncovered for 45 minutes until hot and bubbly throughout and topping has turned a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes prior to serving

Chicken Cordon Blue Soup

This is seriously delicious!  Many thanks to Chef in Training for the great recipe!

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2½ cups half and half (half and half is a half cream, half milk mixture found next to the heavy cream)
• 2½ cups milk
• 1 Tablespoon chicken base, or two chicken bullion cubes crushed
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2½ cups chopped rotisserie chicken (cooked chicken breast will work)
• ½ cup cooked and chopped bacon
• 1 cup cubed ham
• 2 cups grated Swiss cheese

Instructions

1. In a large sauce pan melt butter and then add the flour to make a roux. Cook for about a minute. Add the half and half, milk and the chicken base. Heat for a few minutes and then add the cream cheese. While continuously stirring, bring to a boil and add chicken, bacon. and ham. Take off heat and stir in Swiss cheese. Bring back to the stove on low heat and stir until cheese is melted.

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Another simple and yummy soup recipe that we love from Plain Chicken Blog

• 1 can black beans
• 1 can corn, undrained
• 1 can Rotel, undrained
• 1 package ranch dressing mix
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 8 oz package light cream cheese
• 2 chicken breasts

Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of pot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), rotel, and black beans. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

**Can place all ingredients in a freezer bag and freeze for a quick freezer meal later.**
Read more at http://www.plainchicken.com/2012/01/slow-cooker-cream-cheese-chicken-chili.html#7poA9UFypDCYTHIJ.99

Loaded Baked Potato and Chicken Casserole

This is a super easy and delicious casserole that we love from Delicious As It Looks.

Ingredients

3 - 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced small
        (about 1.5 lbs. or 4 1/2 cups)*
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, cooled and crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 green onions, sliced (green parts only for low-FODMAP/low-fructose)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (use 1/2 cup lactose-free milk whisked with 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour for low-FODMAP)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces


Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9" x 9" baking pan or casserole dish.
2. Spread half of the diced potatoes in bottom of pan (see note below on parboiling the potatoes*). Place the diced chicken breasts evenly on top. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half the bacon crumbles, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and half the green onions.
3. Spread the remaining diced potatoes on top, followed by the remaining bacon, another 1/2 cup cheese, remaining green onions and another 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Pour heavy cream (or lactose-free milk and flour mixture) over top of casserole and then dot with the butter. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes. In the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and bake until melted. Serve.

Healthier Sweet and Sour Chicken

My town recently got an Aldi store and my favorite deal to get there is the pack of tri-color sweet peppers!  I've never been able to justify buying them before on a regular basis, but now I get them every time I go!  Oh how I love sweet bell peppers!  I have enjoyed making dishes using them and my husband really enjoyed this one.  I changed it a bit, as always.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced into thin strips or into chunks
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper
• ½ white or yellow onion, chopped
• rice or quinoa 

sauce

• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar (may sub white vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion salt*
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoon cold water

Directions: First make the sauce. Add sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion salt, and ketchup to a medium sauce pan. Stir and bring to a boil. In a small bowl whisk together the 1 tablespoon corn starch and cold water until dissolved. Add to sauce pan and stir until thickened, then reduce to low heat.  Saute chicken over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add peppers and onions. Continue to saute over medium heat until chicken is browned and cooked through. Serve over rice or quinoa with sauce poured on top.

Chicken Parmesan

I was searching Pinterest as I made my meal plan for January and found this lovely recipe for Chicken Parmesan.  I didn't follow it exactly, but I will definitely be adding it to my meal rotation.  Instead of buying Italian breadcrumbs, I like to use Panko because it usually just contains a few real ingredients like wheat, oil, and salt.  Then I add my own Italian seasonings and garlic salt and Parmesan to give it flavor.

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breasts, sliced as thinly as possible
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 large eggs, beaten until frothy
1 cup of my Italian Panko mix (or store bought Italian breadcrumbs)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
oil (I use coconut oil)
1 Jar of your favorite sauce
8 oz (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
noodles of choice (we prefer angel hair pasta)

Directions:  Get three bowls for dipping: In the first bowl, mix the flour, salt, and pepper.  In the second bowl, beat the eggs.  In the third bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan.  Then dip each piece of chicken in each bowl, creating an even coating of crumbs.  You can now either bake the chicken breasts for 20 min at 425 degrees or fry them in a pan first with a little bit of oil (about 2 min on each side til golden brown).  Then add a few tablespoons of your favorite marina sauce on top and cover with mozzarella cheese and bake for 10 more minutes.  Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy!

Simple Caramelized Chicken

When I found THIS recipe, it looked like such an easy recipe that I prayed it would work for a quick dinner for my family :)  And it did!  I don't like refined sugars or store-bought mixes that contain msg, so I switched the brown sugar with sucanat and used my own Italian seasoning mix instead.  And I added a few pats of butter on the top just to make it really good and in case the sucanat did not caramelize as well.  I was pleased with the results.  So here is the deal with this recipe: it is super easy to prepare but you do really have to let it cook for the full hour if you want the caramelization to occur.  So plan ahead.  I also found that my home-made fresh Italian seasoning was stronger than the store-bought kind with bigger pieces of parsley, etc, and I did not need quite as much as the recipe called for.  I am going to type the original ratio, but just keep that in mind if your Italian seasoning is as strong as mine :)  Also, my girls don't like to see all that "green" seasoning on their chicken, so I just sprinkled a bit of garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and sucanat on theirs instead of the mix.  They really liked it.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 pounds boneless chicken
1 (7 oz.) pkg. Italian seasoning mix
1/2 cup brown  sugar, packed  (or sucanat)

Preheat oven to 350; grease a pan or put down aluminum foil as it tends to stick.  (I used stoneware and it worked well.)  Rinse chicken; pat dry.  Mix sugar and seasonings.  Coat chicken with mixture and sprinkle any leftovers on top.  Bake for about an hour, turning the chicken several times to coat and you can also dribble the sauce on top to make sure it is covered well.

Pasta with Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch

My husband loves bacon and ranch so when I saw THIS recipe on Pinterest, I knew I should try it.  It was very simple and good and I will be adding it to my list of favorite dinners.  I changed it slightly... I don't use store-bought Ranch because I try to avoid anything containing soy, so I used my own homemade version.  I always use brown rice pasta for my gluten-free daughter.  I also reserved the bacon to cover the top of the casserole to ensure that it got really crispy and because my husband likes any recipe that is covered with bacon on top :)  I actually did not have any cheddar cheese, and I'm sure it would have been delicious, but we just sprinkled some Parmesan on top and it was also delicious.

Ingredients:
10 oz cooked pasta
2 cups cooked chicken
cooked bacon (I used about 3/4 a package and saved the rest for some mashed potatoes the next day)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups cream or milk
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/3 cup Ranch dressing ( I mixed together some Ranch seasoning, softened cream cheese, yogurt, and olive oil)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (we sprinkled parmesan on top since we were out of cheddar and it was quite good!)

Directions: Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and stir to combine. Once roux is ready, add cream and stir constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in garlic salt, onion powder and ranch dressing until well combined.  Mix together in a casserole dish with cooked pasta, chicken, bacon, and cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Delicious, quick, and easy chicken lazone!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and as soon as I saw the few but delicious ingredients (does anyone else LOVE butter and cream like I do?), I knew I wanted to try it. But I had no idea how easy it would be! This is totally going to be my go-to meal from now on when I have no idea what to fix. It uses ingredients that are always in my kitchen and takes no time at all. I quickly prepped the chicken during nap-time, stuck it in the fridge, and threw it in the pan 15 minutes before we ate. I cannot tell you how easy it was! And Mark loved it! He is always quite skeptical of my new creations, but he was so excited that he asked if he could finish off the pan. I actually completely followed the directions for once and we ate it over quinoa and it was great! Check out food.com for lots of pictures of this fabulous recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 4 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup butter, divided
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Combine the seasonings and coat chicken breasts.
2. In large saute pan melt half of the butter and cook chicken over medium heat for about 7 to 8 minutes, turning once.
3. Pour the cream into the skillet and lower the heat.
4. Simmer for several minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens then add the remaining butter.
5. When butter is melted place chicken breasts on four plates and top with the sauce.

Barbecue chicken soup -- a winner!

I love soups in the winter! My husband is ok with them, but is not totally excited about them. When I told him that I had made barbecue chicken soup for dinner, he told me right away that it did not sound the least bit appealing to him. And yes, he is always completely honest about my cooking and I don't take it personally; I like to try new recipes and half the time they are just not as good as they sound. But this time, he thought it tasted a lot better than it sounded! Yay! I substituted chicken I got at my Farmer's Market for the canned stuff because chicken in a can just sounds gross to me! I also thought sharp cheddar cheese made it even better. And be sure to read the label when buying barbecue sauce or you will be drowning in HFCS. Many thanks to Pinterest and Picky Palate for such a great recipe!

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh minced garlic

11 oz can corn with peppers, drained (I use frozen organic corn to stay away from BPA and GMO's)

2 12 oz cans Swanson’s Chicken, drained (I used cooked and shredded chicken from our local farmer's market)

1 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth

1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I used unrefined sea salt)

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt (I used a natural msg-free garlic salt I got from WFN)

1/2 Cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

(I added cheddar cheese on top!)

1. Heat oil into a medium pot over medium heat. When hot, saute onions for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic, corn and chicken breast; mix to combine. Pour in chicken broth, BBQ sauce, salt, pepper, garlic salt and cilantro leaves. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until ready to serve. Garnish each bowl with a fresh sprig of cilantro. (I added cheddar cheese as well!)

New Favorite Recipe: Honey Lime Enchiladas

I've been meaning to try out this recipe for quite a while now and I'm ever so glad that I did! The flavors are just delicious! I have to admit that I made a few changes (of course!) It was actually the grocery store's fault -- they were out of green enchilada sauce so I just decided to go with mango salsa instead. And it was a great substitution! Mark thought it was delicious! Many thanks to The Girl Who Ate Everything for the recipe!

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup lime juice

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas, (I use the soft taco tortillas because they fit perfectly in the pan)

1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded

2 cups green enchilada sauce or mango salsa

1/2 cup heavy cream

toppings of choice (sour cream, cilantro, avocado, rice and beans, quinoa, etc)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

Butter pan. Pour enough enchilada sauce or salsa on the bottom of each baking pan to create a thin layer on the bottom. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and a generous amount of shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.

Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover chicken marinade (you might not need to use all of the enchilada sauce depending on how saucy you like yours). Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and top with reserved cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top. Can be served with whatever toppings you like (sour cream, rice and beans, avocado, ect)

chicken grilling packets with lime and cilantro marinade

My friend Lauren sent me this awesome recipe containing my favorite lime and cilantro! Everyone at my house thought it was great!

rice or quinoa

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2.5 Tbsp fresh lime juice (I juiced a lime and then added a bunch of zest as well)
1.5 Tbsp olive oil

a tsp of chil powder

tsp of cumin in the marinade1/4 tsp salt
Toppings of choice: black beans, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, avocado, etc
Pound out chicken to tenderize. Slice or cube chicken. Make marinade in ziploc and add chicken. Marinate from 30 min to a few hours...I did like 4 hrs. Empty bag onto foil, wrap it up and throw it on the grill!!

We ate it over soaked brown rice with black beans, salsa, lettuce, s.cream and cheese! YUM! If you want extra limey taste squeeze another lime on top of the chicken before serving.

Best Chicken Parmesan Ever!

This is the 1st recipe I've seen that calls for dipping chicken in Italian dressing before breading, and it makes a huge flavor difference! My husband loved it! I don't use store- bought Italian dressing because of the soybean oil, so I just made my own by mixing my Italian dressing seasoning mix with olive oil and letting it sit for about an hour before making the recipe. Also, if you are like my husband and like your chicken very crunchy, just serve the sauce on the side instead of baking it on the chicken :)

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing (or make your own!)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/3 cup breadcrumbs (I used organic Panko because it didn't have msg)

1/2 tsp. Italian herbs

1 cup marinara sauce

4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Coat chicken in Italian dressing. (It is even better if you let it marinade a bit :) Blend remaining ingredients and coat chicken in mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or more. When barely done, spoon marinara sauce n a strip across centers of breasts. sprinkle mozzarella over sauce and return to oven until cheese is melted and sauce is heated through.

Recipe from Ironwood Camp Cookbook

Delicious taquita soup

I usually buy 2 chickens at the Farmer's market at the beginning of each month, cook them both, make a big pot of chicken stock, and make a bunch of recipes from the meat. This month I mixed up a lot of our favorite Chicken Taquitos filling and froze it in smaller portions so I could make Mark a yummy fried taco with it when I needed a meal in a hurry. I defrosted some the other day and the weather grew cold and I started wanting soup. So I just tossed it in a pot, covered it with chicken broth, and added some noodles. It was seriously one of the best-tasting soups ever! The cream cheese made it so creamy and the lime and cilantro just made my tastebuds so happy :) And the best part was, it only took a minute to throw together!

Hollie's Pinwheel Chicken

My friend Hollie posted this recipe on the POH blog a long time ago and I've been meaning to try it ever since. Last night was the big night and we really enjoyed it! The paprika and lemon juice add a nice kick that is different from all my other breaded chicken strip recipes and we really liked the variety. Fairly simple to make and healthy if you use your own bread crumbs instead of store-bought ones.

Pinwheel Chicken:

• 2-3 Tbsp parsley (if you're using fresh, use more and chop very fine)
• 1 stick butter
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 cup bread crumbs (make them if you can)
• 1/3- 1/2 Parmesan cheese (preferably fresh)
• 1 lb of chicken tenders (or chicken breasts cut into strips)
• paprika
• 1 lemon or lime

1. Melt stick of butter completely in bowl
2.) Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl: bread crumbs, salt, pepper, parsley Parmesan cheese
3.) Make an assembly line in this order: raw chicken, melted butter, dry mixture, greased Pyrex or oven-safe pottery
4.) Designating your left hand for butter dipping, dip chicken strip into butter and drop into crumb mixture. With right hand only, fully cover the chicken by tossing around and roll it up like a pinwheel or a snail into the dish. It might take some time rolling it with one hand, but with a little practice, you'll be a pro. *By designating one hand for butter dipping and the other hand for dry ingredients, you eliminate a lot of moisture and clumps in your dry mixture; thus making it go farther.
5.) Continue placing each pinwheel into your Pyrex, touching one to the other, so keep them tightly rolled.
6.) Sprinkle lightly with paprika all over to add a little kick and color. Adds great flavor!
7.) Squeeze lemon all over the pinwheels (This is the secret ingredient and a MUST to this dish.)
8.) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

*Check on them at 25 minutes, depending on your oven. The key here is not to dry them out/over bake them since they are very thin strips. Chicken should reach a temperature of no higher than 170 degrees, although some prefer 160 degrees to retain moisture. I prefer 160 degrees.

Creamy Chicken Divane Soup

I found this recipe while waiting for my OB apt. and looking through a Southern Living magazine :) We absolutely LOVE my Mom's chicken divane recipe, but I don' t make it often because I don't like the mayonnaise and canned cream of chicken soup it requires. So I was excited to find this soup recipe that does taste surprisingly similar! I added some shredded carrots to it for added nutrients and it worked well with the soup. This recipe makes a lot, so I cut it in half for our family. This post is part of the Whole Food for the Holidays Progressive Dinner!

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. butter
1 med. sweet onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. crushed red pepper (I left that out)
1 (48 oz.) container chicken broth (I used home-made)
2 (12-oz) pkg. fresh broccoli (about 12 cups)
1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, cut into cubes
4 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 (8oz.) block sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 shredded carrots if desired :)

Directions: Melt butter, saute onion til tender, add garlic (and shredded carrots) and red pepper. Cook 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and broccoli. Cover and bring to a boil 10-15 min. Stir in cream cheese. Process with a blender til smooth (we wanted it chunky, so I skipped that step :). Add chicken and shredded cheese. Cook on med-low, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes til cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.

This recipe is part of Kelly's Korner SUYL

Don't eat Mexican without fresh lime juice and cilantro!

I just had to write about how I am currently addicted to freshly squeezed lime and cilantro. I've been adding it to all sorts of random mexican-like things and it just makes my food seem so fresh and delicious. I first got the craving after making Chicken Taquitos, and then our friends Mary and Samy made us a yummy Gordito dinner and offered us fresh limes to squeeze and cilantro to sprinkle on the top... and I was hooked! Here are a couple of my favorite ways to use it:

Easiest Taco Dinner: Place chicken breasts and a jar of salsa in a crockpot on low all day. (Read the ingredients in your salsa or you will mistakenly get HFCS!) Serve with your favorite type of tacos/tortillas/gorditos/rice/quinoa and any/all of the following add-ons:

sliced avocado
sour cream or cream cheese
sliced lime
cilantro
diced cucumbers
soaked and cooked beans
lettuce
shredded cheese
*Remember to squeeze the lime juice on last!

My favorite easy lunch:
Fill a pita or tortilla with turkey or chicken breast, top with a bit of salsa and cheese, sprinkle on some cilantro, and squeeze some lime juice on top just before toasting in the toaster oven.

Easy chip dip:
Slowly heat equal portions of salsa and cream cheese on stove top on med-low, mixing regularly. Or bake in oven, at about 350 for 20 min, layered with cream cheese on the bottom and salsa on the top. Sprinkle cilantro and drizzle with lime juice right before serving. You can also add shredded cheese if desired.