Chicken Rolls

Chicken Rolls:

Ingredients:1 Large/2 small Chicken Breast

6 OZ of Cream Cheese

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1 Tube pop'n'fresh Crescent Rolls (you know like the Pillsbury kind)

4 TBS Butter - Melted

1 Cup Breadcrumbs

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 Cup Milk

Directions:

Bake Chicken @ 350* until fully cooked. Pull out of oven and shred immediately (it is MUCH easier to shred warm). Increase oven temp to 400*. Mix chicken with Cream cheese, salt, and pepper until well blended. Now open up the crescent rolls. Separate and in the center of each triangle place about a tablespoon of the chicken/cream cheese filling in the middle. You should be easily able to make 8 rolls with this. Now wrap the crescent rolls around the filling to completely cover it and form a ball (If you are overlapping that is good - if you have gaps that is bad!). Repeat with the remaining 7 rolls. Now roll each ball in the melted butter and then in the bread crumbs so each is completely covered. I prefer homemade breadcrumbs because they are larger and make the roll crunchier, but store bought is fine too! Now place on a cookie sheet and bake at 400*20-25 minutes until golden brown.

While the rolls are baking, in a saucepan over medium heat combine one can of cream of chicken soup with the 1/2 cup of milk until hot. This will be the sauce you put over the rolls.

I love these cause they are warm and filling but go great with end of summer foods like watermelon and corn on the cob! Enjoy!

Stuffed Chicken Parmesan

I sort of made this recipe up on the fly, so I'll try to be as exact as possible with the measurements! I saw a similar recipe on cooks.com and modified it to the ingredients I had on hand at home.

*Sorry the picture sucks, my camera died and I had to take it with my phone*

Ingredients:

• 2 - 4 chicken breasts pounded 1/4 inch thick
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (you can cut cherry tomatoes in half to use if you have fresh ones on hand)
• 1, 2 cup bag of mozzarella cheese
• 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• Italian seasoning (a few dashes)
• 2 cups of bread crumbs (Italian style)
• 1 cup of Parmesan cheese
• Toothpicks
• Your choice of pasta (normally I would have used spaghetti, but I was out so I used riggatoni)
  

Directions:

• Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees
  
• Take the pounded chicken breasts and lay out on a cutting board. Down the middle of each place some of the tomatoes and cheese and sprinkle the top with some italian seasoning.
• Roll up each piece tightly starting with whatever is the smallest end. Hold ends together with toothpicks.
• Take each rolled piece and coat in the breadcrumbs mixed with the parmesan cheese
• In the bottom of a large baking dish (size depends on the number of pieces you are making) add some of the pasta sauce, just enough to coat the pan and place each piece of chicken into the pan.
• Pour some of the pasta sauce over the top and sprinkle more cheese on top.
• Cook for 35-45 mins until chicken is cooked through. The thinner it is pounded the faster it will cook and mine took about 38 mins to be totally done.
• Serve over pasta and enjoy!
  

Chicken Enchiladas

I haven't made these in a long time, and did last week and they were really yummy. Perhaps this is too basic to put on here, but I've included my sauce recipe so I'm counting it as good.

Ingredients:

-2-3 Chicken Breasts Cooked and shredded (Baked, boiled, microwaved, grilled, doesn't really matter)

-Flour Tortillas (I like the mini ones, but it doesn't matter)

-8oz Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese (you can use less, but I like them super Cheesy

Enchilada Sauce: (you could just buy it but that isn't fun!)
-3 Tbs Vegetable Oil1 Tbs Flour

-1/4 Chili Powder

-32oz Chicken Stock (Or water and 2 Chicken Bullion Cubes smashed up)

-1 tsp Oregano

-1 tsp Cumin

-1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. In a sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in flour until blended (30 seconds or so). Add Chili powder and stir for about a minute. Now add all other ingredients and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until smooth.

Place chicken in a mixing bowl and add 1/2 the sauce and about 1/2 cup of cheese. Mix until chicken is covered thoroughly. Now it's time to fill your enchiladas, and there is some flexibility here. Put a large tablespoon in a small tortilla, so 2 large tablespoons if you are using regular size tortillas. This is not an exact science, so use your judgement. Spread the chicken out in a line, then roll the enchilada. Do not fold the corners in. Repeat until all the chicken is used. Place enchiladas in a 9x13 pan and cover with the rest of the sauce. Now place as much cheese as you like over the top, I generally use the rest of the bag!!! Now bake for 20-30 minutes until sauce is bubbly.

Be creative with this one. I add peppers or olives sometimes, but the sky is the limit. I find it is best served with sour cream and lettuce. This is also a great recipe to double and serve to a large group. It's different, but easy and can be made ahead of time. Oh, and it's another dinner for under $10!!!!!

Creamy Italian Chicken with Rice

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked & cut into cubes
8 oz package cream cheese (I use fat free)
2 cans cream of chicken soup (I use the low sodium, 97% fat free Campbells)
2 envelopes dry Italian season mix (next to the dry ranch mixes in the store)
milk or water to desired thickness

Combine all ingredients in a large pan on stove until cream cheese melts & mixture is warmed through. We eat this over rice but you could probably use noodles if you prefer.

Super Fast & Yummy Chicken Salad

We had this for our wedding and is one of our family favorites!

6oz. boneless/skinless chicken breasts (approx. 2-3 breasts) boiled and diced
20 small red seedless grapes (halved)
1 small red delicious apple (diced)
1/2 C. diced celery
1/4 C. diced green onion
1Tbsp +1tsp mayonnaise
1tsp lemon juice
1 dash white vinegar
1 dash salt & pepper

Toss all ingredients together & serve chilled

* Delicious served with croissants; Bisquick biscuits work well in a pinch too (as pictured)

**To save time I usually chop all ingredients while the chicken is boiling, and it usually works out perfectly time-wise. I then rinse the chicken under cold water, dice it, toss ingredients together and place bowl in freezer to chill while I finish baking the biscuits!

-Makes approx. 4 adult servings and takes about 20min to make.

Stuffed Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Chicken with Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

2 T basil pesto sauce

1/2 cup sun dried tomatos

2 teeth fresh garlic

1 T extra virgin olive oil

3/4 package cream cheese

6 red potatoes

1 T fresh dill

2 T green onion (4-5 stalks)

1 tsp salt

black pepper

1-2 tsp seasoned salt

1-2 tsp garlic powder

3 T olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Roasted Potatoes:

Dice red potatoes into small one inch cubes. Chop dill and green onion into small pieces. Mix potatoes, dill, green onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, seasoned salt and garlic powder in large bowl to coat evenly.

Spread potatoes out on a large baking sheet. I generally cover the pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Place potatoes in oven for 45 minutes. Check potatos once halfway through baking to turn for even roasting. They should be golden brown and crispy on the outside and soft and delicious on the inside when done.

Stuffed Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Chicken:

Mince sun-dried tomatos and garlic into very small pieces. In a medium size bowl mix cream cheese and pesto sauce. I just buy pesto sauce at Fry's/Kroger since it ends up being cheaper to do that than to buy all the ingredients to make my own. But if you have a good recipe or lots of basil growing in your back yard garden, feel free to make yours! Add tomatoes and garlic and mix until even. It is easiest just to throw all the ingredients in a food processor and mix it up that way.

Then, take each chicken breast and create a "pocket" in each by slicing down one side through the center of the breast longwise. Stuff the cream mixture into the pocket, about 1-2 T per breast. Don't make them too full or all the cheese will spill out when you cook them.

Place the stuffed chicken breasts onto a hot pan w/ some oil, salt and pepper and sear both sides of the chicken.

Cook the chicken about 2 minutes on each side and then transfer to a baking dish. Place the chicken in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees until the chicken is fully cooked.

One note: The potatoes need to cook at least 25 minutes at 450 degrees, but then when you add the chicken into the oven, you can turn it down to 375 degrees and the potatoes can finish cooking at the lower temperature and will still be crispy and delicious when done.

Enjoy!

White Chicken Chili

I cannot take credit for this recipe, my friend Jenn gave it to me, but we LOVE it!! Very easy and if you like cheese then this is your thing!

• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 pkg boneless/skinless chicken brest
• 1 chopped med onion or onion flakes
• 3-4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 cans chopped green chilis
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 3 reg. cans Lucks Great Northern Beans (we have used other brands but find this one is the best for taste and consistency)
• 2 chicken boullion cubes
• 8 oz. of Monterray Jack Cheese (or more depending on what you like)
• salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken then shred or cube. Add everything together either on stove or crockpot let cook til hot or for a while to let flavors soak through. Serve and Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesean

Ingredients:

-2 Chicken Breasts, Sliced in half (you know, the way that makes 4 really thin chicken breasts)

-2 Cups of Bread Crumbs (I used Panko, but whatever you have is great)

-1 Cup Veggie Oil (ish)

-1/2 Box of Rotini Pasta

-1 Jar Spaghetti Sauce

-8oz of Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. Boil Noodle to a to a nice yummy softness, whatever you prefer (I like al dente), strain, and set aside. (While the noodles are cooking I do the chicken)

In large frying pan, heat oil to medium heat. Dredge Chicken in the bread crumbs until completely covered ( I used my hands to press as much on as possible to make it extra crispy). Place chicken in oil and cook 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove chicken from oil and place on a paper towel to drain off extra oil.

In you baking pan (I use corning ware, but an 8 x 8 would work great too) cover the bottom with a small layer of spaghetti sauce. Add in noodles. Cover noodles with 1/2 of the remaining sauce and a bunch of cheese. Next place the 4 pieces of chicken and cover them with the remaining sauce and cheese (i don't use all 8 oz most of the time). Cover with foil or lid and place in the oven for 40 minutes. For the last 10 minutes remove the cover so the cheese gets nice and brown.

Now it's ready to serve and enjoy. This meal is awesome because it seems fancy but costs less than $10 to make for 4 adults!!!

NOTE: My mom thinks that making the chicken is not worth the effort, so she suggests substituting frozen chicken tenders for the home fried chicken. Same meal, much less work.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

Filling:

2 Chicken Breasts - Baked and shredded

2 Medium Potatoes Diced (red pictured)

1 Cup Diced Carrots

1 Medium Onion

1 1/2 Cups Broccoli - Cut small - Can be substituted for Peas but I don't like them.

2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Black Pepper

Crust:

2 Cups Flour

3 TBSP Crisco

1Tsp Salt

1/3 Cup Ice Water

*Pre-made works just fine, I just like it homemade!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.

Boil Potatoes and Carrots for 10 minutes to help soften. While they are boiling you will make the pie crust.

Pie Crust: Cut Crisco into flour and salt with a fork until well blended. Add water and mix only until it is holding together. The less you work with the dough the flakier it will be. Spread a bunch of flour out on the counter and roll out the first 1/2 of your pie dough. Place dough in the pie dish. roll out second half of dough and set aside.

Filling: Strain carrots and Potatoes. They should be softer, but not mushy. Mix all ingredients for the filling together in a bowl. I always start with 1 1/2 cans of cream of chickens soup and then add the rest if needed. It should fully cover all of the veggies and chicken. Place filling in the pie pan over your bottom crust. It will be VERY FULL. You will need to use a spoon or spatula to smash it down. Then place top layer of crust on. I always cut the dough 1 inch from the edge of the pie pan then fold the extra back to make the crust extra thick. you can use a fork to seal the crust or the thumb technique. See picture. Take a fork and poke some holes in the top of your pie to allow the steam out. I also spread just a little butter on the top to make it golden brown.

Bake for 40-55 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Allow the pie to rest for 5 minutes before serving!

So I made this when we were first married and it is now one of Nate's favorite's. It is also great because you can make it with pantry items when you don't want to go the store. Nate can practically eat the whole thing by himself. Enjoy!!

Pot Stickers/Dumplings

These are extremely variable. I'll list what I use, but you can do pretty much whatever you want. Traditional pot stickers/dumplings are made with pork, but I don't like pork, so I use chicken or beef.

Ingredients (Beef Filling)

1 lb ground beef
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded cabbage

(to taste)
fresh garlic/garlic powder
ginger
soy sauce (less is more)
Worcestershire sauce

Put all ingredients together in large frying pan and cook until hamburger is browned and all vegetables are tender. Drain grease as best you can.

Chicken Filling

1 lb ground chicken OR shredded cooked chicken breast (about 2 breasts)
1/3 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped baby spinach wilted over heat

(to taste)
poultry seasoning (parsley/sage/rosemary/thyme)
garlic/garlic powder
ginger
soy sauce

Cook chicken with whatever spices you prefer, then shred. If using ground chicken, cook. I usually don't cook the celery, but put it in with the chicken if you want to. Put aside. In same pan, wilt spinach over heat until you have a cup or so (it takes a lot). Mix celery and spinach in with chicken.

OTHER OPTIONS FOR BOTH FILLINGS:
1/4 cup water chestnuts
1/4 cup chopped peanuts or cashews
whatever else you can think of

Or you can do a bunch of vegetables and no meat for a vegetarian option. I'd suggest cabbage for the main ingredient.

Shells or skins or whatever they're called
Buy 2 packages wonton skins from the grocery store.

If you feel like it, you can make them. It will most likely push you over the hour time limit, but here's the recipe. Warning: these are A LOT of work, but it's what's pictured, so I thought I should include it.

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
boiling water (a cup or so, you probably won't use all of it)

Mix salt and flour, make a well in the center and add the oil and 5 tablespoons boiling water. Mix with a wooden spoon until smooth. You may have to add more water. Be careful not to add too much. Knead until elastic, 3-5 minutes.
Pull off a bouncy-ball sized piece of dough and roll out on wax paper until as thin as you can get it. Should be about 5-6 inches in diameter and almost so thin it's almost transparent. Set aside (still on wax paper, or it'll be hard to pick up) and roll out the rest of the dough this way. You'll probably get between 12 and 20 circles of dough, depending on how big/thick they are.


Cooking Directions

Use a small table spoon (a real one, not the measuring spoon) to scoop filling onto shells. Brush water along half of the outside edge and fold dough over. Use fingers or a fork to crimp and seal open side (like a pie crust). Repeat until all dough is gone. There may be extra filling.
Cover the bottom of a large frying pan with oil and heat until a drop of water skitters off the surface. Put in as many dumplings as will fit. Fry for 2 minutes. VERY CAREFULLY add 1/2 cup water and cover IMMEDIATELY. Let steam for 7 minutes. Put on plate w/ paper towels to drain. Repeat until all pot stickers are cooked, or freeze the rest and cook them later.


FOR DUMPLINGS:

Drop them in already boiling water until the dough is cooked and transparent, probably about 7-10 minutes. I can't remember for sure, I never make them that way.


Dipping Sauce

1/4 c soy sauce
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
ginger

(Sorry there's no picture. I ate it all. It looks like soy sauce.)

Beef Pot Stickers

Caribbean Jerk Chicken

Ingredients:

1 KC Masterpiece Caribbean Jerk Marinade
4 Chicken Breasts slice into thick strips
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbs Jerk Seasoning (Optional)

1 Pineapple
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Place chicken in a gallon size Ziploc bag. Add Jerk seasoning and red pepper flakes and shake till all the chicken is well covered (if you like more spice, use more!). Add marinade and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes. After the chicken is done marinating, grill it to the juices run clear and it is ready to go!

For the pineapple, remove peel/husk/thing and slice into rings. I use a small circle cookie cutter to remove the core. Then place in a gallon size Ziploc bag (or bowl, but I HATE dishes) and add brown sugar. Shake until covered and allow this to sit for AT LEAST 10 minutes. Then toss the pineapple on the grill and allow it to cook until it caramelizes.

That's it for this one. I love it because it's flavorful, easy and delicious! Enjoy!

-Diane