Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Broccoli Over Rice

This was a big hit with everyone! It was easy and a good way to add some broccoli to the diet 😀 Admittedly, not the healthiest with all the sodium-packed soups, sour cream and cheese but still a great dish.

From Picky Palate:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 14 ounce can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 14 ounce can Cheddar Soup
• 14 ounces Chicken Broth
• 1/2 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 6 cups steamed broccoli florets (Boiled in hot water for 3 minutes then drained) *I picked up a couple of the frozen, steamable bags
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
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• Place soups, chicken broth, Cajun and garlic salt into a crockpot over low heat.  Whisk until smooth.  Add chicken, pressing to the bottom. Cover lid and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours. *I mixed everything in a bowl, put the chicken in and poured the soup, etc over. I did this because I used a crockpot liner so whisking in the bag would have been tricky. 
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• When chicken is cooked, use 2 forks to shred into bite size pieces.  Stir in sour cream and broccoli.
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• Serve over steamed rice and sprinkle with cheese if desired (the cheese adds a lot, I recommend it! I grated from a large block. Adding pepper was a nice extra touch as well.) 

Honey Mustard Baked Chicken

I made this for the second time and am reminded just how good (and easy) this is! The first time I followed the recipe to the "T" except using breast. This time I had frozen tenderloin so I thawed some in the microwave. I also used onion powder instead of fresh onion and dried rosemary instead of fresh sprigs. I couldn't tell a difference. Best part, I had all the ingredients on hand!

Taken from: http://www.goodlifeeats.com/easy-honey-mustard-baked-chicken

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup of grainy, course mustard (aka Grey Poupon)
1/4 cup smooth dijion mustard
1/2 cup honey
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 of a small yellow onion, diced (or onion powder)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
salt and pepper
3 - 4 small sprigs of fresh rosemary (or dried rosemary)

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, combine the mustards, honey, and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. (I forgot about the olive oil the second time and didn't notice a difference)

In a sauté pan or cast iron skillet (if you don't have a cast iron yet...get one!), add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 1 - 2 minutes, until fragrant. (I just did the garlic here)

Place the chicken tenderloins on top of the onion and garlic mixture, or if the pan you cooked the onion and garlic in is not oven safe, transfer the onion and garlic to an oven safe dish and add the chicken to it. Salt and pepper the tops of the chicken according to your personal preference. (I sprinkled on the onion powder with the salt and pepper)

Pour the honey mustard mixture on top of the chicken. Arrange the rosemary sprigs around the chicken in the pan. (Or sprinkle the Rosemary. Tip: if you rub the dried rosemary with your hands as you sprinkle on, it releases the fragrance...or so I've read)

Bake the chicken covered at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes (I used aluminum foil to cover). Then remove the cover, baste the chicken with the sauce, and continue to cook for an additional 20 - 30 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken is browned on top and cooked through (it only took 20 min for me). 

It is delicious served over rice! I pour some of the sauce over the top for extra moisture and so it soaks into the rice. This is also paired well with greens like asparagus, broccoli, or spinach salad. 

Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Shallot Sauce

I found this recipe in People magazine forever ago and, on a whim, tried it.  It was surprisingly easy and, not surprisingly (given the ingredients), delicious!  I am writing the directions directly from the recipe with my notes.

I prepared my chicken the night before so that my husband could just put them in the oven at dinner time before I got home.  I also made the sauce the night before and heated it up in the microwave when serving it.  My guess is that it would have been better fresh rather than this way but a great alternative as it takes a while to prepare (well, at least when you have hungry boys waiting!)

8oz. goat cheese, softened (I used crumbled from a container and only needed probably 2oz)
4 (6-oz) boned and skinned chicken breasts (I used 6 frozen tenderloins, thawed in the microwave enough to cut into them)
Salt, pepper to taste
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (I just sprinkled on some dried leaves, enough to make it look pretty)
20 (2x6-in) slices prosciutto (I bought packages of 6 and used 12 total, 2 for each tenderloin)
2 tbsp olive oil (I used coconut oil, probably about 2 tbsp...?)
2-3 shallots, thinly sliced (I bought two and only used 1.  It was the first time I've used shallot so I didn't want to overdo the taste.  Super cheap by the way!)
1/2 cup each white wine, chicken broth and reduced-fat milk
1 tbsp flour

Preheat oven to  350 degrees.

Chicken:
Cut lengthwise pocket in each breast and stuff goat cheese in pockets.  Season breasts as desired with salt, pepper, and thyme.  Wrap prosciutto evenly around breasts (I forgot to season the first three before wrapping and just seasoned the outside of the prosciutto instead - oops!  I don't think it affected the taste).

Bake in a lightly greased 9x13-in baking dish for 15-25 minutes or until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165 degrees and juices run clear (yeah, too complicated for me - I cut into a thick one to make sure the chicken was cooked).

Sauce:

(I recommend having everything ready to go before starting this.  I tried to get it together as I went and felt rushed and afraid of burning something!)

Cook shallots in hot oil in skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often (so they don't burn), 2-3 minutes.  Add wine and broth; bring to a boil.

Whisk together milk and flour; whisk into broth mixture.  Return mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes until sauce thickens (it thickens a lot once you take it off the heat so don't worry about it being thick after 8 minutes).  

Spoon sauce over chicken and sprinkle with additional pepper.  

I served this with a small salad, a nice meal!  I should have taken a picture...I was hungry, sorry.

Cheesy Chicken in the Crock Pot

This one is from a tin of crock pot recipes and I hadn't made it in a while.  I've discovered that cooking overnight is best for me and especially with my older crock.  It turned out delicious and easy...and inexpensive. 

6 count or about 1 1\2 lbs chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can cheese sauce (from the soup isle)
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic (recipe calls for garlic powder but I minced fresh garlic)
Pasta, rice, or potatoes to serve over (I used rotini pasta)
Parsley

Lay half of the chicken at the bottom of the crock pot and season with salt, pepper, and garlic. Repeat with rest of the chicken.  Mix the soups in a small bowl and pour over the chicken.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  Pour mixture over the pasta of your choice and sprinkle with parsley.

When ready, I mixed the chicken and sauce in the crock so that the chicken shredded as I mixed.  After I cooked and drained the pasta, I mixed it all together.

Next time I would like to add in some red pepper flakes to spice it up!

Feta and Cream Cheese Chicken

I love feta cheese to make Greek-inspired salads and omelets.  Problem is that I never seem to use it all.  I found a recipe where you use the below cheese mixture to stuff chicken breasts.  I had frozen chicken tenders so figured I would make my own creation!

1/4 cup feta cheese
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon (rough estimate) Italian seasoning*
1 teaspoon (rough estimate) fresh lemon juice**

I pan-seared 4 chicken tenders in coconut oil and sprinkled them with pepper.  While they browned, I mixed all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Once they were cooked, I used a spatula and basting brush to spread the mixture on top of the chicken and let it melt a bit on low heat.

I served it with fresh, uncooked asparagus and a little salad. Yum!

* the original recipe called for basil but I used this instead since I didn't have basil
** this was my own addition and added a nice touch I think

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

I used to make this dish a lot with the Sam's Club brand chicken because the cans came with the recipe.  I have since lost the copy of the recipe but I conjured up my own version tonight and I think I got it spot on!  Easy, cheap, and delicious...my kind of meal  :-)

1 can chicken
1 4oz can green chilis, chopped
1 cup (approximate) of salsa verde or verde enchilada sauce
5-7 tortillas (depends on how stuffed you like your enchiladas!)
1 cup (approximate) heavy cream
2 cups (approximate) shredded cheese (I like monterey jack but you can use your favorite Mexican blend!)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease the bottom of a shallow pan, about 10 x 14.

Mix the chicken, green chilis, and salsa together in a medium bowl, shredding the chicken as you mix.  Scoop portions of the mixture into the tortillas, fold, and place seam-side down into the pan.  Cover the stuffed tortillas with the heavy cream (I found cream by aMexican company, Cacique, famous for its cheeses, and it was a bit cheaper than good ol' heavy cream), enough to cover the tops completely.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until cream is bubbling.  Top with your desired amount of cheese and bake 5-10 minutes longer.

You top with some more of the salsa/enchilada sauce, (red) salsa, and/or sour cream to spice it up even more.  Serve with your favorite Mexican sides!

One version I read online include using a can of refried beans in the mixture - I am trying that next time!!