Chicken Fried Rice

Okay, so this is one of my all time favorite recipes.  It is so good!  My kids all love it too.  This makes a ton of food, so I just serve it as a main dish, but you could scale it down for a side dish or use it as a side dish to feed a crowd.  This will not disappoint and as a bonus it taste great as leftovers.

Chicken Fried Rice

Adapted from: Real Mom Kitchen

Time: marinate overnight + 30 minutes prep + 30 minutes cook time

Serves: 6-8 as a main dish or 10-12 as a side dish

Print Recipe

1 to 2 frozen chicken breast

1/4 cup soy sauce

5 cups white rice, cooked

2 carrots finely crated

1/2 a white onion finely chopped

1 cup frozen peas

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Place the frozen chicken breast(s) in a ziploc bag pour in the soy sauce and allow to marinate for 8 hours or over night. In a very large frying pan cook chicken in a little bit of olive oil, add carrots and onions and saute until clear.  Add frozen peas and cook until soft.  Then add the rice to the mixture.  In another pan, scramble eggs, chop finely and add to the rice mixture.  Then add butter and garlic powder and stir until butter is melted.  Serve immediately. 

Chicken Chili

I am a big fan of chili, I love it, when it is good that is.  I won't just eat any old chili.   I have tasted a few great beef chili's in my time, most of them have been at restaurants.  My sisters makes a pretty good ones as well, but as far as chicken chili goes this is hands down the best recipe out there.  I love it!  I first had it at a chili cook-off the my church was having and I was sold.  I had to have the recipe and I have been making it regularly for the past several years.  It is pretty quick and easy as far as chili goes.  This would be a great meal to make before you send your kids off trick or treating.  Maybe make some of this cornbread to go with it! Yummy!

Chicken Chili
From: The Christensen Family
Yields: About 6-8 servings
Time: About 90 minutes
Print Recipe

2-3 chicken breasts 

1 T. Olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 (4oz.) can diced green chilies (I like mild)

1 T. cumin

1 T. oregano

¼ t. cayenne pepper

2 cans (16oz.) white beans (navy or great northerns are fine)

7 C. water

4 chicken bullion cubes

2 C. shredded monterey jack cheese

 In a large pan or stock pot, boil chicken breasts in about 10 cups water until cooked, about 20-30 minutes. Shred or chop chicken, set aside. Reduce the water in pan to 7 cups and reserve in pan for later.

In a medium frying pan saute onion in oil until onions turn translucent. Add green chilis and spices and sauté an additional 2 minutes. 

Bring the reserved water in your stock pot to a simmer and then dissolve the chicken bullion cubes. Add the onion mixture and chopped chicken. Put beans into a colander and drain and rinse with cold water. Add beans to soup. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to med-low and cook for about 30 min or longer, stirring occasionally. When ready to serve, turn the heat up to med-high and add cheese in small increments, stirring after each addition until melted. 

Cooking tip: This is a fairly mild chili,  if you like your chili hotter, just add extra cayenne pepper or use medium or hot green chilies instead of mild.  Enjoy.

Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas

These are so good.  You must give them a try.  I got the recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  She is always coming up with ways to make sauces from scratch and they are usually so good and this one is no exception.  It is more work then opening a bottle, but not much more.  I didn't ever feel like it was too much work and the results are well worth any work I put in to it times 10.  You have got to make this, you will not be disappointed!

Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas

Adapted from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Time: about an hour

Yields: 10 Enchiladas

Print Recipe

Filling:

2-3 chicken breast, chopped (you'll want about 2 cups cooked)

1 can black beans

1 (4 oz) can of diced green chilies

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

Sauce:

2 T butter

1/2 C chopped onion

2 T flour

2/3 C chicken broth

1/3 C milk

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 (7 oz) can salsa verde

1/2 C sour cream (reduced fat is fine)

8 oz monterey jack cheese, shredded

10 flour tortillas

handful of dried or fresh cilantro

In a medium bowl combine green chilies and cream cheese, mix well.

In a large frying pan, cook chicken in a small amount of oil. When chicken is about half way done, add the black beans and continue to cook until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.  Add the chicken and beans to the cream cheese mixture and mix well. Set aside

Wipe the frying pan clean with a paper towel and melt the butter over medium heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes.  Sprinkle with flour over the onions and stir well.  Cook for 1 minute while stirring. Slowly add the broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth.  Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbly and thickened.  Add salt and pepper.  Remove pan from heat and stir in salsa verde and sour cream.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.  Spread about 1/3 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish.  Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of the chicken filling.  Top with a small handful of cheese.  Roll the tortilla up and place seam side down in the baking dish.  Once you have rolled all enchiladas, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top then pour the remaining sauce over the cheese.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Krispie Chicken Skewers

You kids will flip for these.  They are so fun and way better than I expected them to be.  I thought this was going to be a fun dinner for the kids, but instead turned out to be something my husband and  I really enjoyed as well and is now a family favorite.  Try these tonight, they will not disappoint!

Krispie Chicken Skewers
Adapted from: Kellogs.com
Time: 55 minutes
Serves: 8
Print Recipe

1 1/2 cups Kellogs Rice Krispies cereal (crushed to 3/4 cup)
2 T flour
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 c  grated parmesan
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast tenders
wooden skewers (soaked in water)


In a large re-sealable plastic bag combine cereal, flour, spices and cheese combine well.  Pour oil into a shallow dish.

Dip chicken pieces in oil, letting excess drip off. Place 2 -3 chicken tenders at a time into the plastic bag, seal and shake until the chicken is coated. Carefully thread chicken onto skewers.  Place on a baking sheet lined with foil and coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pick. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Wingers Sticky Fingers

I have got a great recipe for you today and it is so simple!  Only three ingredients, four if you are counting the chicken.  One of our favorite places to eat as a family is a restaurant called Wingers.  They have restaurants all across the United States.  Our favorite thing to get there is the boneless wings, which they call sticky fingers, they are basically chicken fingers covered in their original amazing sauce. The sauce is a great combo of sweet & spicy.  This recipe taste identical to their amazing sauce, it is so good, quick, easy and budget friendly, you can't beat that!

Winger's Sticky Fingers
From: Real Mom Kitchen
Yields: Covers approximately 8 chicken fingers
Time: 5 minutes for the sauce
Print Recipe

3 T Frank's Hot Sauce (must be Frank's, no other will do!)
3/4 C Brown Sugar
2 T Water

Mix all ingredients in a small sauce pan, cook on medium-high heat until it starts to boil and the sugar is dissolved, let it boil for about a minute.

Pour the sauce in a container that has a lid, add your cooked chicken (wings, popcorn, or fingers) place the lid on the container and shake to coat the chicken in the sauce.

Serve with ranch dipping sauce.  Enjoy!

Citrus & Mustard Grilled Chicken

My son was recently baptized and we had a family party afterwards.  I wanted to grill something yummy and searched for a great recipe.  I found one over at real mom kitchen.  I knew there was a possibility I would have leftovers, so this recipe was perfect because she gave me some ideas to use the leftover chicken.  The chicken was so good, everyone really liked it, but we still had a lot of leftovers. So I got to make lots of yummy things with this chicken like taquitos, tostadas, & mexican casserole

Citrus & Mustard Grilled Chicken
From: Real mom kitchen
Yields: 6 servings
Print Recipe

6 T olive oil
1/4 C apple cider vinegar
Juice from one lime, about 1-2 tablespoons
1/2 C brown sugar
3 T mustard
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 t salt
6 chicken breast (I cut mine in half, they were huge)

Place all of the ingredients, expect chicken in a gallon size freezer bag, mix together and add chicken.  Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least three hours or up to 24 hours.  Grill chicken and enjoy!

Chicken Spinach Stromboli

I have another sandwich-type recipe for you today and let me tell you this is a winner!  This sandwich takes a little bit of time if you are making your own dough,  but it is so well worth it. It can also be made with pre-made refrigerated dough and be really easy. This sandwich is almost better as leftovers!  We always have leftovers with this and I get so excited to eat it for the lunch the next couple of days, it is so good!  I might have to make this again tonight for dinner. . . YUM!

Chicken Spinach Stromboli
Modified from: Our Best Bites
Yields: 6-8 servings
Time: 40 minutes if using pre-made dough
Print Recipe

1 refrigerated pizza crust or your own home-made dough for breadsticks or pizza crust through the first rise (recipe I use)
2 T olive oil (divided)
1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
4 T parmesan cheese (divided)
1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
2 C loosely packed spinach leaves
2 C shredded cooked chicken breasts
1/2 container grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced
alfredo sauce for dipping is a must, store bought or homemade

Preheat oven to the temperature indicated in your recipe for dough or on the package.

Spray your counter with cooking spray and roll dough into a 12x15 rectangle. Brush with 1 T of the olive oil all over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle with italian seasoning and 3 T parmesan cheese.

Keep the remaining toppings one inch away from all the bottom edges and 2 inches from the sides, evenly spread the chicken, spinach leaves, tomatoes, and cheese on top.





















Gently fold one side of the rectangle over the toppings.

Gently fold the other side over.

Tuck up the bottom edges

Carefully place sandwich on a cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Using kitchen scissors cut three slits across the bread. Brush with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until top is golden brown.  Cool for 10 minutes before slicing.  Serve with alfredo dipping sauce.

Grilled Italian Chicken & Veggie Skewers

Memorial weekend is  here and I am keeping my finger crossed for great Spring weather.  If you are looking for something to barbecue on Monday, look no further.  This chicken and veggies is so simple and so good and will easily feed a crowd if need be.

Grilled Italian Chicken & Veggie Skewers
From: Our Best Bites cookbook
Yields: 5 servings
Time: 15 minutes prep. 3 hours to marinate.  15 minutes cook time
Print Recipe

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bottle of high-quality italian dressing (I used Kraft's roasted red pepper italian dressing)
1 medium green zucchini, sliced
1 medium yellow squash, sliced
1 orange bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1 small red onion cut into bite sized pieces
4 oz sliced mushrooms

Place chicken in a shallow dish and pour 1/2 the dressing over the chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Place vegetables in a bowl and toss with remaining dressing.

Look at those beautiful veggies!

Thread the meat and veggies on to bamboo or metal skewers, If using bamboo skewers make sure you soak them in water for at-least 30 minutes prior to using them.  They will still burn on the edges, but the won't burn so bad that they fall apart.  Keep in mind the you will have about triple the amount of veggies than chicken, so thread your skewers accordingly.

Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat.  Cook skewers for about 10-15 minutes turning occasionally until chicken is cooked through and veggies are crisp-tender.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

I am waiting and waiting for spring to get here and I think it might actually be here this week! Yah! So it is a perfect time to I dust off the grill and make this awesome teriyaki chicken. This is perfect for those upcoming summer barbeques. I often make this for guests and they always leave with the recipe in hand. My kids love it too, so it graces our dinner table often. It is best grilled, but I have been known to cook it over the stop top or in the oven during the winter. I have also used pork and steak in this marinade and it is delicious as well. You have to try this recipe, seriously it is so good.

Teriyaki Chicken
From: All Recipes
Time: 20 minutes prep, 6 hours marinate, 15 minutes cook time
Yields: 6 servings
Print Recipe

1 (6 oz) can pineapple juice
¼ C Soy sauce
¼ C Vegetable oil
3 T brown sugar
1 t garlic powder
¼ t black pepper
6 chicken breast cut into chunks (pork or steak can be used)
Pineapple (fresh or canned)

Mix the first five ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour into a Ziploc bag, add chicken and marinate for at least six hours or overnight.

Thread chicken and pineapple onto metal skewers or soaked wooden skewers. My kids don’t like grilled pineapple, so I usually serve it on the side, you can do whichever you prefer. Grilled pineapple is yummy though. Discard marinade. Heat a grill at medium-high heat and cook chicken for about 15 minutes, rotating every 3-4 minutes. You can always broil it in the oven or pan fry it on the stop top as well, but nothing beats the grill. Serve with rice.

Sweet Chicken Wrapped In Bacon

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Tayler. She is an awesome cook! This chicken is almost as sweet as eating candy. It also has a smokey flavor from the bacon. I know this sounds weird, but it's a very unique flavor that I know you'll enjoy!

Sweet Chicken Wrapped in Bacon

From: Kells

Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 35-40 minutes

Total: 55 Minutes

Print Recipe

6 Chicken Breast cut into bite sized pieces

6-8 Slices of Bacon, cut into thirds

2/3 C. Brown Sugar

2 Tbs. Chili Powder

In a bowl combine the sugar and chili powder. Wrap a piece of bacon around each piece of chicken and secure with a tooth pick or two. Roll the chicken and bacon in the sugar mixture. Make sure each side is coated. Place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam.

Cook at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. ENJOY!

"Put that in your back pocket"
-Kells

Garlic Lemon Chicken

I got this recipe from My kitchen Café.  I modified it slightly, but it is pretty much the same recipe.  This is my Favorite chicken dish, and we have a lot of chicken around here.  It is so tender and delicious you would think you were eating it at a fancy restaurant.  It is a little work intensive at the beginning, but so well worth it! Enjoy!

Garlic Lemon Chicken

From: melskitchencafe.com

Yields: 4-6 servings

Time:  About 50 minutes

Print Recipe

2 large chicken breasts cut into 3-5 strips each

3/4 cup seasoned flour (3/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper)

5 cloves of garlic, finely minced 

1 tablespoon parsley flakes or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 C freshly squeezed lemon juice, from about 1 1/2 lemons

2 eggs

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 tablespoons butter (divided)

Place the seasoned flour in a large gallon-size ziploc bag. Set aside. In a shallow pie plate, beat the eggs until mixed and add the Parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Let it begin to heat and sizzle while you prepare the chicken but be careful not to let the butter burn and turn brown.

Put the chicken strips in the bag with the seasoned flour, close the bag, and shake to coat the chicken in the flour. One by one, take the chicken out of the bag and dip into the egg/Parmesan mixture. Place the chicken carefully in the skillet with the hot oil/butter. Let the chicken cook on the first side, without moving or flipping the chicken, for 1-2 minutes until a nice, golden crust has formed. Carefully, using a wide spatula, flip the chicken and let it continue to cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side until it is golden brown. The chicken will flip easiest if it has had time to sizzle and cook to form a nice crust.

Remove the chicken to a 9X13-inch pan. Set aside while you make the sauce.

In the same skillet that you browned the chicken, melt the remaining seven tablespoons butter. Add the minced garlic, lemon juice, and parsley. Simmer the sauce for only 1 minute, stirring and scraping up any browned bits that were on the bottom of the skillet.

Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Serve over noodles.

"Put that in your back pocket"

-Meg