Chicken Salad

My poor friend Tonya. Every time I host anything, I want to make this yummy recipe. However, I can never find the recipe. I have gotten it from her probably 4 or 5 times. I'm happy to post it here for everyone to enjoy, but I'm more excited to have a permanent home for it! I'll never have to ask her for it again!

FYI: This recipe calls for 1 tsp. Accent - which is MSG. I'm sure it tastes a bit better with it, but I can't bring myself to add it. I debate it in the spice aisle every time I go to make it. I think it tastes awesome without it.

Chicken Salad

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

2 cups chopped celery

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 Tbs. dried onion flakes

1/2 tsp salt

sprouts

Prepare chicken.

Mix chicken with celery, mayo, almonds, onion and salt. Chill.

Fill sandwiches with salad and top with sprouts.

I like this best on croissants.

Tortilla Soup

Since I came upon this recipe at AllRecipes a couple of months ago, I've made it probably a half dozen times. All of the ingredients are found in my food storage, and it comes together in about 5 minutes. Plus, it tastes pretty darn good. So, when it's dinnertime and I haven't planned anything (ya, like that ever happens!), this is my 'go to' meal. Besides that, without the chips and cheese, it is quite healthy!

Tortilla Soup

1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

2 14 oz. cans chicken broth (or 28 oz. water and 5 chicken bouillon cubes)

1 10 oz. can chunk chicken, drained

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

Chili Powder according to your own taste - I use about 1/8 tsp. (because we're weak!)

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbs. minced onion

Tortilla Chips

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Pour all the ingredients into a large pot. Simmer until chicken is heated through. Serve with tortilla chips and cheese.

Bourbon Chicken

This is an easy, yummy dinner which (relax!) requires no actual Bourbon!

Bourbon Chicken

2lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 tablespoons oil (for pan-frying)

cornstarch (for dusting, optional)

Sauce:1 garlic clove (minced)

¼ teaspoon ginger (I used ground ginger)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I didn't have any of these)

¼ cup apple juice

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

½ cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce

Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and if you choose lightly dust with cornstarch. Heat oil in your wok and fry chicken bits in batches until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

In a bowl combine all sauce ingredients. Pour into wok and bring to a boil. Add chicken bits back to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Anniversary Chicken

I'm not sure where I got this recipe, but it is so good that I feel I should credit someone for it! I use Hidden Valley Ranch, made from the package of seasonings. (It is the only Ranch that I like) Although I'm sure freshly cooked and crumbled bacon would take this dish to a whole other level, I have used the pre-cooked, pre-crumbled, packaged bacon with great results. It is quick and easy and very tasty!

Anniversary Chicken

2 Tbls. vegetable oil

6 chicken breasts

1/2 cup Teriyaki basting sauce

1/2 cup Ranch dressing

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 green onions, chopped

crumbled bacon

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat oil and brown chicken for a minute on each side.

Put chicken in a greased 9x13 dish. Brush with Teriyaki sauce, spoon on ranch, sprinkle with cheese, onions and bacon.

Bake for 35 minutes or until cooked through.

Chicken and Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes

I love that this recipe has sweet potatoes in it! (Noelle hates that it does!) This was a great soup and was relatively easy to prepare; lots of chopping and dicing! It took me about 1 hour to make. It comes from one of my new favorite sites: My Kitchen Cafe. Just about everything on there that I have tried has been delicious! I made a couple of little changes to fit what I had on hand. I didn't have the corn muffin mix, so I used the dry ingredients from my favorite cornbread recipe and it worked great.

This recipe makes A LOT! I actually had to transfer it from my huge pan to my ginormous pan about halfway through. I would say it could feed 10 people easily.

Chicken and Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes

3 cups whole milk (I didn't have whole milk so I used 2 cups 1% and 1 cup cream)

2 Tbs. sugar

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

(Or you can use 1 cup of a yellow corn muffin mix in place of the previous 5 dry ingredients)

2 T. butter

1/2 onion, chopped fine

3 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 1/2 tsp.)

1/2 tsp. ground cumin (I actually didn't have any of this, so I didn't add it)

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

2 quarts chicken broth

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 " cubes and cooked

2 sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

3 cups frozen corn (not thawed) (I used 3 14oz. cans of corn and it worked great)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (I -of course- used dried parsley)

1/2 tsp. salt (add more or less to your liking)

3 shakes pepper

Mix milk and muffin mix in bowl until well combined.

Meanwhile, heat butter in large pot over medium heat until foaming.

Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes.

Stir in garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broth, chicken and sweet potatoes.
Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sweet potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes.
Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens, about 10 minutes.

Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes.

Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Serve.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This recipe is from My Kitchen Cafe. I made it last night for dinner and it was so yummy! I accidentally used Teriyaki Marinade instead of Soy Sauce, (I was in a hurry and didn't read the label...doh!)but it is made up of mostly soy sauce any way! Also, I only baked it for about 35 minutes and it was perfect! It was quick and easy! I served it over rice for the family and I had it in a salad (watchin' the carbs!) and I'm willing to bet mine tasted every bit as good as theirs - maybe better!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Chicken:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:

¾ cup sugar

4 tablespoons ketchup

½ cup vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stove top. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

Chicken Divan

Or as Russell always called it growing up, "Chick in dee truck!"

We love this dinner and it is one of the few that even my pickiest eaters gobble up. Cut up the chicken and broccoli really fine and babies can't get enough! I am frequently asked for the recipe.


This recipe comes from my Mom, but I have altered it a little, so here's my version.

Chicken Divan


2 bunches fresh broccoli, cut and steamed
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
3 or 4 chicken breasts cooked and cubed
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (Plus some to sprinkle on top)

Preheat oven to 350.

Put cooked broccoli in the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish.
Melt butter in a saucepan. Blend in flour. Add chicken broth. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Stir in Cream of chicken soup, lemon juice, salt, Parmesan cheese and a dash of pepper.

Pour half the mixture over the broccoli. Top with the cubed chicken. Pour the remainder of the sauce on top. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Broil until top browns just a little.

Serve over rice (which, of coarse, you cooked while it was in the oven!)

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This recipe comes from The Sisters' Cafe and here is my take on it. It is definately more noodles than soup - but that is the way Ian likes it! I made it twice in the last 2 weeks for sick friends. Just what the doctor ordered!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

28 oz. chicken broth

1 cube (or 1 Tbs.) chicken bouillon

2-3 carrots, sliced

2-3 celery stalks, sliced

1/2 medium onion, chopped fine

8 oz. noodles (I used No Yolk wide egg noodles - lots of protein, no fat!)

1 pound chicken, cooked and diced

2 cans cream of chicken soup

12 oz. evaporated milk

Boil broth, bouillon, carrots, celery and onion for 20 minutes or until tender.

Cook noodles with another chicken bouillon cube and drain.

Add noodles, diced chicken, cream of chicken soup and evaporated milk. Heat, add a few shakes of pepper and serve!

(Goes awesome with my homemade bread recipe!)