Buffalo Chicken & Potato Casserole

1 1/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
6 cups frozen southern-style hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing (I used ranch)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 10-ounce can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs (I used crumbled Ritz crackers)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 3 medium)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In medium bowl, stir together chicken strips and wing sauce.

3. In large bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese and soup. Spoon into baking dish. Place chicken strips over potato mixture.

4. In small bowl, stir together crumbs and butter. Sprinkle on top of chicken strips.

5. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when center of thickest pieces are cut. Sprinkle with green onions.

Originated from: Www.cassiecraves.blogspot.com

Blackened Chicken over Garlic Lime Pasta

8 oz spaghetti or linguini
3-4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 tbsp blackening spice (homemade recipe below)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/4 cup tequila
1 cup chicken broth or stock
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tbsp dried parsley

Blackening Spice Recipe:
2 tsp paprika
4 tsp dried leaf thyme
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Combine ingredients in small plastic storage container.  Shake well to combine.  Shake before each use.  

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Coat chicken in blackening seasoning.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Add chicken and brown 4 minutes on each side.  Reduce heat and cook until chicken is no longer pink (mine took another 4-5 minutes).  Remove chicken to a plate and reserve.

Add remaining tbsp of olive oil and tbsp of butter to the pan.  Add garlic and sauté over medium heat 1-2 minutes.  Sprinkle flour and cook one more minute.  Deglaze pan with tequila, cook 1-2 minutes.  Add chicken broth and lime juice, bring to a boil.  Simmer 5 minutes or until thickened, add parsley.  Add drained pasta to the skillet and heat through.  Add chicken back to the skillet and heat through.  Add chicken back to the skillet and heat through.  Serve Immediately.

Originated from: http://peaceloveandfrenchfries.weebly.com

Honey-Lime Enchiladas

5 Tbsp honey
5 Tbsp lime juice, from 2-3 limes
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
10 flour tortillas
4 oz Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup 2% Colby/Monterrey Jack blend, shredded
16 oz. green enchilada sauce
1 cup fat-free half & half

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and mix the first five ingredients together. Toss with shredded chicken and refrigerate; allow to marinade for at least 1/2 hour. After marinading, stir in 2% Colby/Monterrey Jack cheese.

Using 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, coat the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken/cheese mixture, then roll up the filled tortillas and place in bottom of pan.

Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the half and half. Pour sauce on top of rolled enchiladas and sprinkle with Monterrey Jack cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and continue to bake for 10 more minutes. If the tops of the enchiladas are not browned, broil at 500 F for 1-2 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Yield: 5 servings (2 enchiladas each).

Originated from: http://slowcooker101.blogspot.com/

Freezer Meals....

I will be returning back to work soon and in an effort to reduce the craziness that will be our lives once this happens - I've been using every free minute I have to stock our freezer full of quality meals.  Many updates below are all freezer-friendly meals, adapted from my favorite cooking blogs.  If you have any tried and true freezer meals yo'd like to share - please comment!

Grilled Chicken & Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

This was a great twist on traditional Macaroni and Cheese.  I included all of the original instructions, but to simplify my own recipe I cooked the chicken in the crockpot and then added to the dish.  Enjoy!

6  slices good-quality smoky bacon, such as apple-wood smoked bacon

Salt and pepper

1 pound whole wheat, short-cut pasta

2 pieces skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded

EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling

1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

4 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, quartered lengthwise and very thinly sliced

2 rounded tablespoons flour

1/2 cup cloudy apple cider or chicken stock

2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

1 1/2 cups shredded Romano

1 cup Parmesan Cheese 

Preheat oven to 375 °F. Arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan or on a rack placed over a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Chop and reserve. Switch on the broiler and position the rack in the center of the oven.

Bring a pot of water to boil, salt it, add pasta and cook 1 minute less then instructions indicate, or until just shy of al dente. Drain and return to the pot.

While pasta is working, heat grill pan or cast-iron griddle over medium-high heat. Drizzle chicken with EVOO to coat lightly then season evenly with paprika, salt and pepper. Grill chicken for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer to a cutting board and halve the pieces lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

  While the chicken cooks, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until light golden brown and very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in cider (or stock), then add milk. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Add thyme and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the cheese until melted.

Add the chicken, bacon and sauce to the pasta and transfer to a casserole. Broil until bubbling and browned, about 5 minutes. 

Adapted from: Rachel Ray

Creamy Taco Mac

1¼ lbs. ground turkey
8 oz. dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can - Rotel (omit if you'd like it less spicy)
1pkg - Taco Seasoning
3 oz. cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)


Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the turkey is cooked through, drain if necessary, return to heat then mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the drained diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. Let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Originated from: http://www.daintychef-krissy.blogspot.com/

If you've made this into a freezer meal - I'd recommend adding a can of diced tomatoes or Rotel to it once it's thawed. The noodles absorb a lot of the liquid.

Pasta Milano

3 slices bacon, diced
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup white mushrooms, sliced

1 cup chicken broth, divided

1 cup heavy cream (or half & half for a lower fat version)

salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces dry farfalle (bowtie) pasta
water for boiling pasta
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

In a large skillet over high heat, brown the diced bacon. Season the cut up chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and saute until lightly browned. Once the chicken is cooked, add the sliced mushrooms and saute until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the roasted garlic, sundried tomatoes and chicken broth to the hot skillet. Allow it come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring.Take off heat and add the bacon, chicken and mushroom to the sauce and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add dry pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, transfer to a bowl.

Pour the chicken and sauce over the hot pasta and toss. Place in a baking dish and top with shredded Parmesan cheese and bake in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes until cheese melts.

Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot.

* To make ahead/freezer meals - Prepare as directed, however cook pasta to barely al dente. There should be a bite to the pasta where it's not completely cooked. Place pasta, chicken and sauce in an ovenproof container and allow to cool. Cover and freezer. When ready to prepare, defrost and bake in preheated oven as directed above.

Originated from: http://www.joelens.blogspot.com/