Chicken Tortilla Wraps

I've been trying to break up the hum drum of lunches this year, so....I went to pinterest (this one is from a site called The Yummiest Foods).  I did NOT take a picture of this in the process b/c I've had a lot of fails, so I wasn't sure what I'd think, but this one was really yummy, so any picture is better than no picture so I don't forget b/c it's definitely going to be something I bring out again.  So, since this is first and foremost where I store ideas and recipes I like...
Dear Me,
You liked this recipe.  Make it again when lunch is getting boring and you are looking for inspiration.
-Christy

Ingredients:  3 c. chicken (baked or boiled with a little seasoning-shredded), 3/4 c. celery, 1/4 c. dried cranberries, 1/2 c. mayo, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 c. pecans, 4-6 flour tortillas.
Instructions:  Mix all the ingredients together after your chicken is cooked.  Chill.  Wrapped chilled ingredients evenly in tortillas.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

I have not yet entered the world of Instapots.  I think I've hesitated b/c....well, space, I have a tiny house and it's bulging at the seams.  There is also the 'not quite instant' aspect, but the reason I've clung to my crockpot up through this date is b/c I put together the ingredients the evening before, put the crock in the fridge, then pop it in the pot in the morning and hit low.  That way it's just ready to go when I get home.  Perhaps this is something you can do with the instapot, and I figured I'll get there someday, but for now, here's another recipe I really enjoyed via my (increasingly) vintage crockpot.  

Ingredients:  2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 c. bbq sauce, 1/4 c. Italian dressing, 1/4 c. brown sugar, 1 T Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 t. salt

Instructions: 

1.  Put chicken in the bottom of your bottom.  

2.  Mix all the other ingredients and pour them over the chicken.  

3.  Cook for 3-4 hours on high.  Shred and let it cook another 10-15 minutes in the sauce.  

4.  Serve on buns (or the original recipe at FamilyFreshMeals recommends serving it over rice or in a wrap).  Regardless, you have some well seasoned chicken!

Cheater Chicken Noodle Soup

This is my cheater version of chicken noodles soup, and I'm not sorry about cheating b/c it's good.  I simply bought a rotisserie chicken from the store, removed the skin and shredded the meat.
I started off by taking about a half of cup of chopped celery, chopped carrots, and a medium onion and sautéing them in about a T. of oil.  When they start to soften I added 16 oz of chicken stock and about two cups of water, the chicken, 1 t. of kosher salt, and 1 T of parsley.  I also added about two cups of pasta and boiled it all together for about 15 minutes (until the noodles were soft).  If the water boils out, add more water.  I don't like a lot of water with my soup, but feel to add more broth if you like a soupy soup.

Crockpot Butter Ranch Chicken

In the summer, it is my life's ambition to not turn on my oven.  I don't have a convection oven, so the last thing I want it to add any heat to this house in the Texas Summer.  I saw this recipe awhile back and it was so easy I had set it aside not really trusting the outcome.  I was sooooo wrong.  This was so yummy I created a new "keeper" label below so I won't forget to make it again....and again.  I house most of my recipes on this blog and not on paper form anymore (though I may work on that), BUT this turned out to be so easy and tasty I didn't want it to get lost on the web.
Basically-throw 4 pieces of chicken in a crockpot.  Sprinkled a pkt of dry ranch seasoning on top and a cut up stick of butter (1/2 c) (it melts as the chicken heats up).  Set on low for 8 hours.  Mine took less time.  It was falling apart and had so much flavor.

Crockpot Cashew Chicken

Cashew Chicken is one of my favorite recipes.  I have made it several different ways, but I recently saw this recipe via crockpot over at the recipe critic.  This easily feeds 4 people.  I didn't take a great picture b/c I at it swiftly and forgot to grab a snap of the left overs until they were boxed up.  There is only one 'cooking' step before the crockpot.  I did drop a few ingredients (green onions), only because I didn't have them.

Ingredients:  2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces, 3 T cornstarch, 1/2 t. black pepper, 1 T oil, 1/2 c. soy sauce, 4 T rice wine vinegar, 4 T ketchup, 2 T sweet chili sauce, 2 T. brown sugar, 2 garlic cloves (minced), 1 t. grated fresh ginger, 1/4 t. red pepper flakes, 1 c. cashew

Instructions:  
1.  Combine cornstarch and pepper in a ziplock.  Add chicken and shake to coat with cornstarch mix.  2.  Heat oil over medium and brown chicken for 2 min on each side.  Place in crockpot.
3.  Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sweet chili sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, and cashew in a bowl.  Stir and toss over chicken.
4.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 2 hours.  Serve over rice.
*the original recipe says you can wait to add cashew until the end to prevent them from getting too soft

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

I'm always looking for new ways to bake chicken.  I ran across this one via all recipes and it was really simple and delicious.  I adapted it some by using Italian bread crumbs so I wouldn't have to add a bunch of different seasoning-I let the package do it for me!  So, if it's time for a chicken revamp, here is an easy recipe that baked well and heated up well. 

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

Ingredients:  1/2 c. butter, 4 cloves of garlic (minced), 3/4 c. dry Italian bread crumbs, 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 c. Cheddar cheese, 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast (pounded thin)
Instructions:  
1.  Heat over to 350. 
2.  Melt butter in a saucepan on low and cook the garlic until tender (about 5 minutes).
3.  In a separate bowl, mix the crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and Cheddar cheese. 
4.  Dip each slice of chicken in the garlic butter, then press into the bread crumb mix. 
5.  Place some bread crumbs at the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan, and place the bread chicken on top (this prevents the bottom from getting soggy.)
6.  Bake for 30 minutes (or until the chicken is no longer pink. 

One Pan Chicken Meal

I'm always looking for the easy way around dinner, and I've been fascinated with all these one pan meals, so I finally decided to give one a go.  It actually called for four pieces of chicken, but the chicken I was using seriously looked like it was King Kong's child, so I just coated two.  It also called for new potatoes, but I was trying to use up some baking potatoes, so.....all this to say-the chicken had a great crust, and the vegetables are very forgiving and flexible, but it really was tasty!  It'll make the rounds again....and again....and....

Ingredients:  

For chicken: 1 large egg, 2 T lemon juice, 2 t. minced garlic, ½ T fresh chopped parsley, ½ t. each salt and pepper, 

• ½ cup breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (I doubled these)
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 

For The Veggies:

• 8 (1 lb) baby potatoes, quartered, ½ c. butter, melted, 2 t. minced garlic, salt to taste
• 1 lb green beans
• Instructions:
• 1.  In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
• 2. Dip chicken into egg mixture, cover and allow to marinade in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.
• 3. Preheat oven to 400.  Grease a baking sheet.  Set aside.  
• 4.  In another bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan cheese.
• 5.  Dredge the egg coated chicken in the breadcrumb/Parmesan mixture, lightly pressing to evenly coat.  If it doesn't coat enough, redip them in the egg and dip again in the breadcrumbs.  Double coating make a great covering.  
• 6.  Place chicken onto the baking sheet / tray and lightly spray with cooking oil spray. Arrange the potatoes around the chicken in a single layer. Mix together the butter, 2 t. garlic and salt to taste, and pour half of the butter mixture over the potatoes. Toss to evenly coat.
• 7.  Bake 15 minutes.
• 8.  Remove  tray from the oven and turn each chicken . Move the potatoes to one side and place the green beans around the chicken on the other side of the baking sheet. Pour remaining garlic butter and return to the oven to broil for a further 10 minutes, or until chicken is golden and potatoes are cooked through.

Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken

This was a really easy recipe to throw together in the crockpot.  It's not too sweet (which I find a lot of these chicken recipes end up being), and...it goes good with rice...and anything that makes friends with a carb is a friend of mine.

Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken

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Ingredients:  4 chicken breast (about 2 lbs-boneless and skinless), 1 c. packed brown sugar, 2/3 c. vinegar, 1/4 c. lemon-lime soda, 3 T minced garlic, 2 T soy sauce, 1 t. fresh ground pepper, 1 T corn starch, 2 T water

Instructions:  

1.  Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray (or use a liner)

2.  Place chicken (frozen or thawed) into crockpot.  

3.  Mix all the other ingredients (except the cornstarch and water) together and pour over the chicken.  

4.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours (frozen chicken needs longer).  

5.  Remove chicken, it should be falling apart.  

6.  Place the sauce in a pan and add the water and corn starch to the pan.  Heat, let it come to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes (should start to thickin and turn into a glaze).  

7.  Remove from heat and let it sit for a few minutes.  Pour over chicken and serve.  I shredded mine over rice....because...carbs.  

The original recipe came from six sister stuff.  

BBQ Chicken

I found this recipe at Natasha'sKitchen and it was so simple, delicious, and it makes enough for an army.  I'm an army of one, so I froze part of it for later.  I put this together a few months back.
During the busy holidays the crockpot is about as big of a commitment as I make to most dinners..mostly because my oven is busy, but seriously, busy or not, this one is staying in my rotation.

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

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Ingredients:  3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, 1 1/2 c. bbq sauce, 1/2 medium onion (grated with juice), 1 T olive oil, 1 T. Worcestershire sauce, 2 T. brown sugar

Instructions:  Stir all ingredients together (except chicken).  Add chicken and turn to coat.  Cover and cook 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low.  Take a fork and shred and stir with juices.  

Crockpot Warm Chicken Salad Sandwich

I recently ran across this recipe at Aunt Bees.  I love a good Chicken Salad, and the fascinating thing about this one is it's served warm...and it required a whole lot less chopping than the usual take, so....for an easy chicken recipe than can be served on bread or crackers....here's a good one!  It's really creamy, but it's a great mix of relatively mild ingredients that marry well!

Slow Cooker Chicken Salad

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Ingredients:  4 chicken breast, 1 pkg ranch dressing mix pkt, 8 oz cream cheese, 1 c. mayonnaise, 3 oz pkg bacon crumbles, 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, 1/4 c. (or to taste) chopped green onions
Instructions:  
Place chicken in crockpot.  Sprinkle with ranch seasoning and place cream cheese on top.  Cook on low for 6 hours.
Shred chicken with 2 forks and then add the mayonnaise, bacon, and cheese.  Cook for an additional 15 minutes (cheese should be melted).  Toss in green onions and serve on rolls or crackers.

Hawaiian Chicken Salad

I work at a school.  We have been adopted by a church that spoils all the teachers and students on a regular basis.  Recently, one of the Sunday School classes brought us lunch and one of the dishes was this Hawaiian Chicken Salad.  I didn't know what was in it, but it was seriously delicious.  Seriously.  The lady who brought the dish shared her recipe, and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make.  Seriously, give this a try. 

Hawaiian Chicken Salad

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Ingredients:  1 large can of Swanson Chicken breast (drained), 1 c. mayonnaise, 1 c. celery (chopped), 1 c. pecans (chopped), 1 c. flaked coconut, 1 small can crushed pineapple (well drained), 1/2 c sour cream
Instructions:  Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.  Chill.  Serve on lettuce leaf as a salad, or on bread. 
*Makes enough for 6+ sandwiches.

Crockpot Fajitas

I recently read different variations on crockpot fajitas.  I took the easiest of them all.  I cut up a large onion into slices, a green pepper, and a red pepper into strips and I dumped them in the bottom of a crockpot.  I then took two large, uncooked pieces of boneless chicken and dropped them on top of the veggies.  Last, I took a taco seasoning packet and sprinkled it over the whole thing.  I set it on low to cook for 6-8 hours (or high for 3-4).  You just want to make sure the chicken is cooked through and the veggies have softened.  Mine was fork ready to shred.  I tossed it all into flour tortillas and topped it with all the calories good stuff.  Seriously, so delicious.  Feel free to add more chicken and more veggies.  The skies the limit, but the key is, a packet of taco seasoning did all the work of a lot of fancy slicing, dicing, seasoning, and sauteing.  (OK...not really sauteing, but it went so well with my list).

Bar B Que Chicken Cornbread Pie

I grew up on casseroles.  It's such an easy way to hide vegetables.  It's just best if you hide my vegetables.  I tried out this recipe from tablefortwo and it really was delicious!  I've found a lot of duds through the year, so....I'm really glad to have found this treasure.  I'm definitely adding it to my casserole rotation.  It covers all the food groups in one pan, and reheats well the next day...if it makes it that long! 

BBQ Chicken Cornbread Pie

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Ingredients:  

Bottom layer:  8.5 oz box cornbread mix, 1 egg, 2 T butter (melted), 3/4 c milk, 1/2 c. corn kernels

Top Layer:  2 T olive oil, 2 large piece of chicken (cooked and shredded), 3 cloves of garlic (minced), 1 med onion (chopped), 1 small red bell pepper (diced), salt and pepper to taste, 1 T chili powder, 1 1/2 t ground cumin, 2 t. hot sauce, 2 T Worcestershire sauce, 1 c. tomato sauce, 1 1/2 T brown sugar, 10 oz shredded cheddar cheese.  

Instructions:

1.  Heat oven to 400 and grease a 9 " pie pan.  

2.  In a bowl, mix the cornbread mix, egg, butter, and milk.  Add corn.  Pour mix into pan and bake for 15 minutes (or until the top is just set and golden brown).  Remove from the oven.

3.  In a skillet, on medium heat, add the oil, onion, and red pepper.  Cook until soft and add chicken, garlic, and saute until fragrant.  Add salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and hot sauce.  Cook for 5 min and then add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar.  Stir and then reduce heat to low.  Simmer until thickened (about 7 minutes).  

4.  Pour over cornbread mix.  Sprinkle the top with cheese.  Turn on the broiler and broil on high for 3 minutes (cheese should be melted).  

Sweet and Sour Chicken on the Grill

Last summer I went through a grilling season and this was one of the recipes I tried out and loved.  The original recipe is from adashofsanity and it was easy to put together, and tasty to consumer-which are my two criteria.  As a side note, it's also a pretty healthy recipe.  If your standards also go along these lines, here is the recipe.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

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Ingredients: 2 lbs of chicken tenders or chicken cut up into tender size, 1 T rice vinegar, 2 T soy sauce, 3/4 c. sugar, 1/4 c.+2 T ketchup 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar, 1/2 t. garlic powder, 1 bell pepper (chopped into large chunks), 1 purple onion (chopped into large chunks), 2 c. brown rice (cooked and prepped by package directions), grill skewers (metal or bamboo)
Instructions:  Marinate your chicken by mixing all the ingredients except for the rice.  Cut the chicken into large chunks and leave it in a bowl in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
Soak bamboo skewers for 30 minutes.  Thread chicken, onion, and green peppers by alternating to fill the skewers.  Save marinate.
Place chicken on the grill over medium heat.  Cover and cook for 3 minutes.  Turn and baste with marinate.  Cook 3 more minutes.  Check the center and see if they are finished.  The chicken usually takes about 10 minutes to cook.

Chicken Philly Sandwich

I saw this recipe a few months back via foodfamilyfinds and I decided to try it out.  I didn't have a lot of hopes b/c it just seemed too easy.  It wasn't nearly complicated enough, but I was feeling lazy.  I.  Loved.  It. This is such a simple recipe, so delicious, and not too shabby on the calorie count...until you add the whole carbo boat you serve it in, but let's not judge.

Chicken Philly Sandwich

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*makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients:  2 T butter, 1 large yellow onion (sliced), 2 green bell peppers (sliced), 2 T. Dale's Steak Seasoning (this is actually a liquid found near the steak sauces), slices of mozzarella cheese, hoagie buns.
Instructions:  Place the  onion and bell pepper slices at the bottom of your crockpot.  Place butter on top.  Toss the three chicken breast in the seasoning and a little salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over the vegetables.  Cook for 5 hours on low.  Serve on hoagie buns, melt cheese on top.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

I'm always looking for a filling recipe, and when I saw this on pinterest via RachelSchultz-I was intrigued.  I halved the original recipe, but it went a long way, and it lasted long beyond the last bite.  The cheese gives it a great flavor, and the rice stuck with me, which was a great combo!
So the next time you are hungry (and I'm speaking to future me... in third person, annoying), pull this out of the recipe vault....
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients:  3 T olive oil, 1 white onion (diced), 3 stalks celery (diced), 3 carrots (diced), 2 T garlic (minced), 2 c chicken breast (cooked and shredded), 1 c. white rice, 16 oz wild rice, 3 T butter, 1/4 c. whole wheat flour, 1 c. vegetable broth, 4 c. cheddar cheese (shredded), garlic salt, salt and pepper.
Instructions:  Cook both rices according to packaged instructions.  Cook and shred the chicken.  Heat oil, onion, celery, garlic, and carrots in a pan over med heat for 10 minutes.  Stir in chicken, rices, and a dash of salt pepper, and garlic salt.  Reduce heat to low.  In a second pan over med/high, melt the butter.  Whisk in flour, vegetable broth (I used chicken), and salt and pepper to taste.  Continue to whisk until boiling.  Add 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted.  Place chicken and rice mix into a greased 9x13 pan.  Pour cheese sauce over rices and top with remaining cheddar.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

Parmesan and Mesquite Roasted Chicken Salad

I saw this recipe on Jenna'sJourney and it seemed too easy to be as good as the reviews claimed. The only thing 'difficult' about the recipe was locating the chicken she refers to (found in the frozen section of Sam's with the meat....for some reason I thought it was going to be near the rotisserie at the store).  It's super easy, and really tasty...two of the best combos when it comes to cooking.  
Paremsan Chicken
printable recipe
Ingredients:  1 Bag Sam's Club Mesquite Grilled Chicken (this is pre-cooked and frozen), mayo, olive oil, lemon juice, minced jar of garlic, 1 bunch of fresh parsley, grated Parmesan. 

Instructions:  Defrost chicken and cut into small cubes.  Mix with T of garlic, 1 1/2 c. of mayo, 1 T olive oil, and 1 t. lemon juice.  Add chopped parsley and 1 1/2 c. of cheese. 

Serve on your favorite bread.  

 -She also suggest, if you don't have access to Sam's, you can make your own chicken by marinated 6 chicken breast in a mesquite marinade and then cooking. 

Cashew Chicken Salad

 When I first saw this recipe (via Dean McDermott's website) I was a little skeptical of the ingredients, but since I've developed a weird love for chicken salad over the last few years, I decided to give it a go.  Man, it's a good one.  In my head, it's 'lighter' tasting than some of the really creamy salads, you can substitute the mayo with yogurt, and there are actually some healthy things hiding in this tasty salad.

Cashew Chicken Salad

1 whole roasted chicken, shredded (I boiled four individual size pieces of chicken and cut these into small cubes), 1/8 c. white wine vinegar (to taste, don't pour too much in, it's strong, but tasty), 3/4 c. red grapes (halved), 1/2 c. cashews (halved), 1/2 c. red onion (diced), 3/4 c. mayo or plain yogurt, juice and zest of 1 lemon.  Mix all these together and place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before serving.

Applesauce Chicken

All right, one more healthy recipe...for now.  This was a pretty tasty treat, and you can never go wrong with something that turns out well via the crockpot!

Applesauce Chicken

Ingredients:  4 skinless boneless chicken breast (trimmed of fat), 1 c. applesauce (no sugar added), 1/2 c.  water, small onion (sliced), 1 T minced garlic, 2 t apple cider or white vinegar, pinch of cinnamon, 1/2 t black pepper, pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions:  Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.

Weight Friendly Chicken

 

I'm a fan of the chicken, and when you tell me it's healthy...and I try it and it's actually delicious too....sign me up.  So....if you are doing the New Year New You thing but want to eat more than carrots and lettuce....try this guy.  If you are counting...it's 4 Points Plus.  

Oven-Fried Paprika Chicken

Ingredients:  2 sprays cooking spray, 1/2 c. plain fat-free yogurt, 1 T sweet paprika (divided), 15 saltine crackers (crushed into crumbs, 1 t. salt, 1/4 t.  black pepper, 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (4 4 oz pieces), 1 T parsley, 1/2 med lemon (cut into wedges-I skipped this)

Instructions:  Preheat boiler and coat baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place yogurt and 1 t. paprika in small shallow bow.  In a second shallow bowl combine cracker crumbs, salt, pepper and remaining 2 t. paprika.  Stir to combine.  Place chicken in yogurt mix and turn to coat.  Place coated chicken in cracker mix and turn to coat-press lightly to make crumbs stick.  Place coated chicken on prepared baking sheet and lightly spray top of chicken with cooking spray.  Broil 3-4 inches from heat source until golden brown and cooked through.  Flip once about 4-5 minutes per side.  Serve by sprinkling with parsley and garnish with lemon wedges.