Anniversary Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Salad

When my husband and I were dating, he would always try to do sweet things for me. Ok, he still does that, but he happens to do it a little more skillfully these days. Once upon a time, I had to stay late at school studying, and since he lived just off campus, I asked if I could take a quick study break to see him and eat some dinner. He offered to make some food, and I asked for something quick and easy, like pb&j. When I arrived at his apartment, I was surprised to find he had tried a new chicken recipe from AllRecipes in hopes of spoiling me with an exciting dinner.

He had logically chosen a recipe with extremely high ratings. But since his bachelor apartment wasn't fully stocked with all of the ingredients called for in the recipe, he had made a few substitutions of his own. In the end, you probably guessed that the chicken was a bit of a disaster. We laughed at how his time would have been better spent making sandwiches.

Well, a few days ago I got an email from AllRecipes with that very same recipe as the Recipe of the Day. My husband and I vowed that we would have to try it (with all the right ingredients this time!) to see what all the five-star fuss was about.

So, without further ado, here's the recipe for Anniversary Chicken, from AllRecipes.

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup teriyaki basting sauce
• 1/4 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1-1/2 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 (3 ounce) can bacon bits
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts, and saute 4 to 5 minutes each side, until lightly browned.
3. Place browned chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush with teriyaki sauce, then spoon on salad dressing. Sprinkle with cheese, green onions and bacon bits.
4. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Americanized Thai Pasta, Edamame

I have been dying to try this Thai Pasta recipe from CreativeStirrings for months now, but somehow I hadn't ever gotten around to it. I have almost all of the ingredients in my fridge at the moment, so I thought I better get with it and make it!

You can find the original post for this recipe here at the Creative Stirrings blog, along with another creative and delicious-looking recipe for burritos if you want to try this sauce two different ways.

I am opting to only make the pasta, so I have modified the recipe by cutting out the extra sauce ingredients for the burritos. But man, check out the presentation on the burritos!


Americanized Thai Pasta
from Creative Stirrings

1/4 (1.0 oz.) dry package of Ranch® Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 bunch of cilantro
3.75 oz (a little less than 1/2 cup) jarred red peppers, drained and patted dry with a paper towel
1 tablespoon regular salsa
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce or more!

Combine the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.

Add the following in the blender:
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon black pepper or more!
Additional hot sauce would also be good

Blend until smooth. Then, pour into a small saucepan or microwave safe bowl and set aside while you prepare the following:
16 oz. linguine pasta, cooked and drained

1 1/2 cups chopped and cooked chicken
1 red pepper, sliced

Stir the chicken into the sauce and heat through. Place noodles on individual serving plates and top with the sauce and red pepper slices. Serve immediately.

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

I am super excited to try this recipe! Click here to see the original recipe post and photo on The Seven Bum Kitchen.

It's probably no surprise that I will use milk in place of the half-and-half, and I may decrease the cheese depending on how much we have left in the fridge by Tuesday. Here is the copy of the recipe:

1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts

1 1/2 c. chopped onion

1-2 garlic cloves (or 1 tsp. minced)

3 T. butter

2 chicken bullion cubes

1 c. hot water

1 tsp. cumin

2 c. half-and-half

2 c. shredded Monterey-jack cheese

1 can creamed corn

1 can (4 oz.) green chiles, drained

1 med. tomato, chopped

Cut and cube chicken. Brown with onion, garlic, and butter.

In a separate pan, dissolve bullion cubes in hot water. Add cumin, bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.

In a 3 qt. pan, add bullion mixture, chicken, and rest of ingredients (except tomatoes). Add shredded cheese after all mixed together. Cook and stir until cheese if melted. Add tomatoes.

Crunchy Baked Chicken

We loved this chicken. It's quick, simple, flavorful, and kid-friendly. Five stars from me!

This recipe comes from a neighbor. It's so simple to prepare; it would probably be great to make for a crowd.

Crunchy Baked Chicken
3-4 chicken breasts, cut into three pieces each
1 c sour cream
1/2 pkg Lipton onion soup mix
salt, pepper, paprika to taste
Pepperidge Farms stuffing (blue bag)
butter

Line casserole dish with foil. Place breasts in dish. Combine sour cream and soup mix. Sprinkle salt, pepper and paprika on breasts. Spoon sour cream mixture to coat the top side of chicken. Sprinkle each breast liberally with stuffing mix and put a dot of butter on each breast. Bake uncovered at 375 for one hour.

Sides
4 potatoes
baby carrots

Stab potatoes with a fork. Bake at 425 while you thaw and prep the chicken. Then turn down the oven to 375, add the chicken to the oven, and the potatoes will be done around the same time.

Steam carrots. Season with salt and pepper or with a maple glaze.

Spinach and Ricotta-Stuffed Shells

We enjoyed this recipe, but didn't love it like crazy. I was surprised at how little my son cared for it, actually. I think it could definitely use more marinara and less ricotta mixture. Plus, the homemade marinara was a lot of work for a red sauce. I'd probably just use something I already had in the pantry to save time. I doubt I'll be making this one again anytime in the near future.

This recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine. I'm excited to try the homemade marinara sauce (using the extra for other yummy things!), but I'm sure you could substitute your own favorite red sauce to simplify the preparation.

Basic Marinara
1 T olive oil
1 c chopped yellow onion
1 t sugar
1 T minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
3/4 t salt
3/4 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/8 t fennel seeds, crushed
2 t balsamic vinegar
2/3 c chicken broth
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (no-salt-added variety)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 7 ingredients (through fennel seeds); cook 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 55 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
Yield: about 4 cups

Spinach and Ricotta-Stuffed Shells
2 c Basic Marinara
2 1/2 c part-skim ricotta
1/2 c grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1 (10 0z) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 large egg yolk
1 garlic clove, minced
24 cooked jumbo pasta shells

Preheat oven to 350. Spread 1/2 cup Basic Marinara over bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine ricotta and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a large bowl, stirring well. Spoon about 1 1/2 Tablespoons filling into each pasta shell. Arrange stuffed shells in prepared dish; spread with remaining 1 1/2 cups Basic Marinara. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Curried Honey Mustard Chicken, Rice, Broccoli

I tried a delicious honey mustard chicken at a friend's house years ago, and this recipe with the curry powder sounded like a fun twist on the idea. I'm guessing you could use regular mustard if you prefer it over Dijon; let me know if you try it!

Curried Honey Mustard Chicken
adapted from AllRecipes.com
2 T butter, melted
1/3 c honey
1/4 c Dijon-style prepared mustard
4 t curry powder
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
3 chicken breasts, cut into half or thirds

In a medium bowl combine melted butter, honey, mustard, curry powder and cayenne. Mix well with a whisk. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish coated with cooking spray and pour honey mustard mixture over chicken. Cover and place in refrigerator. Marinate 4 hours our overnight. Preheat oven to 375. Remove dish from refrigerator and bake, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove cover and bake about 10 minutes more, until chicken is cooked through.


Sides
1 c rice
broccoli florets

Cook rice according to directions. Serve chicken on top of rice, and spoon sauce over as desired.

Steam broccoli. Season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole, Sauteed Zucchini and Squash

A few weeks ago, I served Stove Top stuffing along with roast chicken. I could not believe how much my little man was eating the stuffing! He keeps talking about "tuffing," so I figure I should try one of the recipes from the back of the box to see if he likes it.

*Ooh, I'll be honest, we did not love this dish. I think we'll keep to eating our stuffing sparingly and on the side.


Chicken Stuffing Casserole
from Kraft

1 (6 oz) pkg Stove Top stuffing mix for Chicken
1 1/2 lb chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1/3 c sour cream
1 (16 oz) bag frozen mixed veggies, thawed, drained

Preheat oven to 400. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package, set aside. Mix chicken, soup, sour cream and vegetables in a 9x13 pan; top with stuffing. Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.


Sauteed Zucchini and Squash
1 zucchini, cut in thin circles
1 yellow squash, cut in thin circles
1 T butter
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning
celery seed
optional: 1/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese

In a frying pan, melt butter on medium heat. Add zucchini and squash and sautee until tender. Add seasonings to taste. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired, and remove from heat.

Amber's Minestrone Soup, Green Salad, Garlic Bread

Let Me Plan Dinner reader Amber submitted this minestrone recipe, a yummy Olive Garden knock-off she found at Recipe Zaar. I'll be serving it with a green salad and garlic bread. Too bad we don't have those Olive Garden bread sticks, too...

Here is the recipe from Recipe Zaar, scaled down to 4 servings.

1 1/2 T olive oil
1/2 c minced white onion (about 1/2 small onion)
1/4 c chopped zucchini
1/4 c frozen cut italian green beans
2 T minced celery (about 1/4 stalk)
2 t minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 c vegetable broth (Swanson is good *note: Do not use chicken broth*)
1 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained
1 (15 oz) cans small white beans or great northern beans, drained
1/2 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 c carrots, julienned or shredded
1 T minced fresh parsley
3/4 t dried oregano
3/4 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/4 t dried thyme
1 1/2 c hot water
2 c fresh baby spinach
1/4 c small shell pasta

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent. Add vegetable broth to pot, plus trained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency.

*Holy cow, this was the best minestrone soup I have ever, ever tasted. The seasonings and veggies in this dish are just PERFECT. I thought the beans got plenty overcooked, but then again I had to make this in the morning, refrigerate all day, and then reheat at night due to scheduling constraints. I think this one is worth making the full 8-serving recipe and having again in a couple nights. Yum, yum, yum.

Bistro Chicken, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Salad

This chicken recipe comes from This Week For Dinner, a beautiful and amazing blog I discovered recently after having started Let Me Plan Dinner. I know I'm not up to the likes of Jane Maynard as a blogger and a cook, but maybe one day!

I'll be serving the chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and green salad. Here is the recipe copied from Jane's blog:

Bistro Chicken
From Jen Schulte
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I usually do two, but the amount of sauce could handle probably 4-6 breasts)
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 14-oz can diced tomatoes (I get petite diced)
- Italian seasoning (or a few shakes of oregano, basil, parsley and garlic powder)
- 1 can Campbell’s French Onion soup
- Swiss cheese, sliced

I cut my chicken breasts into thirds and pound them thin before browning, but the recipe didn’t originally call for that. Brown the chicken breasts in a medium-high skillet in oil or butter. Remove and place in casserole dish.

Cook onions in skillet for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, french onion soup and cook together to reduce liquid for 5 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken in the casserole dish, top with Swiss cheese and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

I like to serve with garlic mashed potatoes.

Addendum after comments have come in: the last few times I’ve made it I haven’t used the entire can of french onion soup. I put all the broth in, but I only put maybe half of the onions from the can in. for me, it’s the right balance. the first time I made it, though, I followed the recipe to a “t” and we still liked it, so feel free to modify or not according to your tastes!

Gingery Salmon, Pilaf, Broccoli

We continue on our quest for more omega-3's with this Gingery Salmon recipe. This salmon recipe is adapted from Good Housekeeping magazine. I hope it tastes as good as the recipe sounds!

Gingery Salmon
3 T lower-sodium soy sauce
2 T grated peeled fresh ginger
2 T honey
4 skinless salmon fillets
2 T water

Preheat oven to 400. In a 13"x9" glass or ceramic baking dish, mix soy sauce, grated ginger, and honey until well combined. Add salmon fillets and turn to coat evenly; spoon ginger mixture evenly over salmon. Pour 2 T water into baking dish around salmon. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until salmon is just opaque throughout.


Pilaf and Broccoli
1 c. whole-grain pilaf, or 1 box rice side dish
1 lb broccoli florets

Cook pilaf according to package directions. Steam broccoli and season with salt and pepper or garlic powder and crushed red pepper flakes.

We thought this salmon recipe tasted fine, but the ginger taste was stronger than we'd prefer to have all the time. It was fun to try, but I doubt I'll be making too often.

Pesto Chicken and Cheese Toasts, Cabbage Salad, Carrot Sticks

These little toasts come from the creative minds at My Creative Stirrings. You can find the original post here. I'll be serving these toasts with carrot sticks and a cabbage salad loosely based on this recipe (without the chicken, of course).

Here is the recipe, copied from the Creative Stirrings blog:

15- 1" slices of bread (from 1 pound loaf)

2 cups chopped and cooked chicken

1 cup shredded Colby Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup pesto basil

1 teaspoon mashed jalapenos

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat oven to broil. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the slices of bread on top of the foil lined pan; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the chicken, cheese, pesto, jalapenos, and garlic salt*. Spread in equal portions on top of each slice of bread. Broil 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is lightly toasted.

*Optional topping:

3/4 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies, drained (*for additional flavor drain the juice into the chicken mixture)

Combine the sour cream and chilies and serve on top of the cooked toasts.

*I never intended to post this recipe. I was simply trying to get rid of ingredients I have been storing. However, after making it a couple times I have had a few recipe requests. Here it is, Enjoy! Some prefer the toasts without the topping and some liked it with. I think it is good both ways.

Brenna's Teriyaki Burritos, Broccoli, Cauliflower

This interesting recipe comes from LMPD reader Brenna, who got it from her coworker Katie. I can't wait to try such an interesting combination! I'll be serving these burritos with broccoli and cauliflower.

Here is Brenna's recipe:

Teriyaki Burritos

Marinate chicken in the following:

1/2 C. sugar
1/3 C. soy sauce
1/4 C. water

Cook and serve burrito style with:

flour tortillas

tomatoes
diced avocado
cilantro (or for those who don't like cilantro, shredded lettuce)
fresh limes (microwave for 10 seconds if they're not juicy)
shredded mozzarella cheese
cooked rice

*I loved this flavor combination! My only addition to the recipe would be my own instructions for cooking the chicken:

Mix together soy sauce, sugar, and water. Refrigerate half the mixture in the fridge as sauce. Combine the remaining half with 3 chicken breasts cut into strips. Marinate in the fridge for an hour or overnight. Heat a pan over medium-high heat with cooking spray. Discard marinade. Saute chicken pieces until cooked through. Add reserved sauce and bring to a boil. Stir together 1 T cornstarch and a splash of water. Add to the pan, and cook a few minutes more until sauce thickens.

Jennifer's "I Want Seconds!" Italian Sausage Soup, Green Salad

This Italian sausage soup recipe comes from Let Me Plan Dinner reader Jennifer, who blogs at 3 Little Chicks. I'll be serving this soup with a green salad and maybe some kind of bread.


Here is Jennifer's recipe as she wrote it. Thanks for sharing!

1 pound ground Bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
10 oz. bag of shredded carrot
3 (14oz) cans of beef or chicken broth. (I used the lower sodium kind)
2 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic. (I used the no salt added kind)
1 (16oz) can red kidney beans-drained
1 (16oz) can of great northern beans- drained
6 oz (1/2 a box) Bowtie pasta

In a large pot, cook the sausage, onion and carrots together until sausage is browned and crumbles. Stir in the broth, tomatoes and beans. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to med/low and simmer for 20 min. Add the pasta: simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Stir and serve immediately.

*Mmm! Thanks, Jennifer. I really did want seconds! This recipe was a delicious and easy soup. I will probably use half the sausage next time just to save on money and calories. This was a hit at our house.

Alison's Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Rice, Veggie Stirfry

This sweet and sour meatball recipe comes from Let Me Plan Dinner reader Alison. She says it was a family favorite growing up. . . you know, the kind where the kids fight over who gets the last meatball. :) I'm going to stirfry up some veggies using a little of this and a little of that (mostly using extra veggies I chopped for the Minestrone soup). Then I'll serve the meatballs over brown rice.


Here is Alison's recipe.


Meatballs:
1 1/2 lb hamburger
1/2 c. oatmeal
1/4 c. milk
2 T chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce

Mix all. Form into meatballs. Cook in skillet. Remove from skillet and drain fat.

Sauce:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 big can pineapple tidbits (not as good with crushed)
1 T soy sauce
1 T cornstarch
1/3 c. vinegar
1 small green pepper (I like to use an onion instead because I'm not a huge fan of cooked green peppers, but that's just my personal preference.)

Mix brown sugar, cornstarch, pineapple (and syrup), vinegar, and soy sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat. Add meatballs. Cover, simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in green pepper (and/or onion). Cover, simmer until crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Sometimes it turns out a little thick, but if you just stir in water, it turns out delicious :) I hope you like it!

*We enjoyed making this meal! I would probably omit the pineapple juice or decrease the brown sugar, just because I prefer a little less sweet in my sweet and sour. Using onion instead of green pepper was an amazing idea! I thought the onion turned out perfect. If you still like green peppers, add them just a little later to the cooking time. Mmmm. Now I'm craving Asian.

Shannon's Tuna Biscuit Casserole, Green Salad, Broccoli

This casserole recipe comes from LMPD reader Shannon. She says it's a big hit with her kids! I'm not personally a huge fan of refrigerator biscuits in general, but I want to try it to see if my 1 1/2 year old will eat the tuna. We're always working on getting him to eat more fish!

I'll be serving this casserole with steamed broccoli and a green salad.

Here is Shannon's recipe as she wrote it:


1 can of refrigerated biscuits
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can tuna drained
1 c. milk
1 t. parsley
1 c. grated cheese

Mix the soup, milk, tuna, and parsley. Line the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish with the biscuits spaced about an inch apart. Pour the soup and tuna mixture over the biscuits. Top with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Alyssa's Falafels, Carrots Sticks, Cucumber Salad

Alyssa blogs at Cooking a la Mode, and my goodness, her pictures are beautiful. (Are you giving lessons, Alyssa?!) You can check out her falafel recipe post as well as her soft pita bread post for her comments and photos. I'll be serving these falafels with carrot sticks and a cucumber salad (see Tianna's comment), and I couldn't be more excited to try the whole meal!


Here are Alyssa's recipes, as she wrote them on her blog:

Falafels
-Alyssa Griffeth-

1 can chickpeas
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 Tbs. fresh parsley
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c.+ flour
vegetable oil for frying

1 recipe of Soft pita bread (or store bought pitas-- If you're in a pinch)
English cucumber slices, quartered
tomato, diced
shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 red onion, sliced paper thin
ranch dressing

Place chickpeas and onions in a food processor. Pulse until almost smooth. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, red pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until well-blended but not pureed.

Remove chickpea mixture and place in a bowl. Sprinkle in the baking powder and flour, and gently mix. Add enough flour so that the dough can form a small ball without being too sticky. Refrigerate, covered, while you heat the oil and chop the veggies. Mixture can easily be made several hours ahead of time.

Using a small cookie dough scoop sprayed with Pam, form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts (you should have about 16-18 balls). Flatten between greased hands, until each ball becomes a 3 inch circle.

Heat 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees in a deep pan (I always use a candy thermometer to make sure my oil temperature stays consist ant) and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 5 balls at a time for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

Stuff warm pita bread with 2-3 falafel balls and all vegetable toppings. Add a generous amount of ranch dressing and serve hot.

Soft Pita Bread
Adapted from: King Arthur Flour

*Makes 8 flatbreads

3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. boiling water

1/4 c. potato flour OR 1/2 c. potato flakes
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. INSTANT yeast

Place 2 cups of the flour into a large mixing bowl (or Kitchen Aid). Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir till smooth. Cover the bowl and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes. This process will cook out some of the starch, making the bread very soft and pliable.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes) and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several (5-7) minutes to form a soft dough. Add additional flour only if necessary-- The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat soft. Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour. (Note: Since this is a flatbread, the dough will not rise very much due to the small amount of yeast-- But it should still rise noticeably.)

Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each around 3-4 oz.-- I use my kitchen scale for this), cover, and let rest on an oiled surface for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll each piece into an 8-inch circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) on a griddle or frying pan over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until they’re flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out. Stack the cooked bread in between a soft, clean towel to keep them warm and soft. Serve immediately, or cool before storing in a plastic bag.

Kimberly's Boneless Buffalo Wings, Corn on the Cob, Fruit Salad

Happy Memorial Day! This boneless buffalo wing recipe comes from LMPD reader Kimberly. You can check out her recipe blog, Chez Fruge. I'm excited to serve these buffalo wings with chips, corn on the cob, and a fruit salad. Sound like a good holiday to you, too?

Here is Kimberly's recipe, as she wrote it on her blog. I will definitely be using less oil because I don't have a fryer. I will also be leaving some of these without sauce for the little one (he doesn't do spicy quite as well.

1 1/2 – 2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon cayenne red pepper
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 boneless skinless chicken breast
7 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

In medium bowl, mix flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne red pepper, and paprika.
In small bowl, mix egg and milk.
Slice chicken breast into small bite size pieces.
In your deep fryer or skillet, pour in the oil (mine took 7 but it’s a wider fryer – you may need more or less depending on the size of your fryer or skillet).

Heat oil to 375 degrees.

Dip the chicken pieces into the egg and milk mixture and then the flour mixture. Repeat this process to double-coat each piece.
Arrange chicken on a plate and put in the fridge for 15 minutes.
When 15 minutes is up, carefully place the chicken into the oil and fry for 5-6 minutes (depending on how big you made the pieces) until they are brown. (My fryer fit 7-8 pieces at a time.)
Remove chicken from fryer when browned (and cooked through) and place them on a plate lined with paper towel.
In a microwave safe bowl (one with a lid – you will need it later), combine hot sauce and butter and microwave until butter is melted (about 25 seconds). Stir.
Put the chicken in the bowl with the sauce mixture and cover with the lid. Shake well to coat each piece.
Serve with Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing

*Thanks, Kimberly, for a yummy recipe! We liked feeling like we were eating out for a night.

BreAnne's White Chicken Chili, Fritos, Veggie Kabobs

This white chicken chili recipe is from reader BreAnne. I'll be serving this chili with tortilla chips and some grilled veggie kabobs (I'm thinking red onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms!).

Here is BreAnne's recipe as she wrote it, but scaled by half. I'll be substituting milk for the cream.


1 can canellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 can black beans
about 1/4 cup chopped onions (or more if you like onions)
about a clove of minced garlic
about 1-2 large chicken breasts
about 1 can chicken broth
1/2 to 1 can green chiles, diced
about 1/2 tsp of cumin
sometimes I add a dash or two of paprika or some chili powder or both (go by the smell of them together)
about 3/4 cups cream
around 1 tbsp cornstarch (mix with some of the cold cream)
salt and pepper to tastiness
a sage leaf
Fritos
Sour Cream

Saute the onions and garlic and add the chicken with S&P and cook. Cut up the chicken into bite size pieces. Add the chicken broth and and the rinsed beans, and the sage leaf, cumin, salt and pepper, sometimes i throw in a little paprika, the can of green chiles. simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the cream. Add the cornstarch and cream mix and bring to a boil, then let simmer until you are ready to eat it.
Put some Fritos in a bowl and ladle some chicken chili over it. Dollop on some sour cream and if you like any green adornments (like cilantro or parsley) you can add that on top too!
Enjoy!

Feel free to add or subtract and adapt in any way you like, it always turns out great!

*This was such a fantastic, flavorful soup! It seemed so bright and fresh, perfect for summertime. The Fritos in the bottom of the bowl were a really nice addition in terms of flavor and texture. I used chopped cooked chicken I already had on hand, but followed the recipe otherwise. Thanks, BreAnne!

Trimble's Chicken Noodle Soup, Homemade Rolls, Broccoli, Peas

This chicken noodle soup recipe comes from LMPD reader Trimble. You can find it posted on her blog, Dinner Time Ideas. I was intrigued by how thick the soup looks in her picture; I can't wait to try it out!

I will be serving this soup with Grandma's homemade rolls, steamed broccoli, and microwaved frozen peas.


Here is Trimble's post, copied from her blog:

2 T butter
1 c sliced celery
1 c chopped carrot
1/2 t onion powder (or 1/2 cup chopped onion if you prefer)
1 small diced potato
1 teaspoon thyme (if you don't have this go to the store, do not leave this out)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (again, go to the store)
4 cans (14 oz) chicken broth
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 lb or 1 1/2 c noodles (penne are my favorite)
2 c cooked chicken, shredded or diced
1/2-3/4 c water

First I like to cook my chicken in a slow cooker on high for 4-6 hours. Put two small chicken breasts in, fill the slow cooker about 1/3 full with water and sprinkle in 1 1/2 teaspoons of onion salt. After the chicken is done, either shred or dice and set aside. On high heat, melt butter in a large pot and saute celery, carrot and onion powder for two minutes. Add potato, thyme, poultry seasoning, chicken broth and bouillon. Bring all to a boil. Add the noodles and chicken and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Depending on how thick you want this to be, add up to 3/4 c water. It's pretty thick if you don't add any extra water due to the noodles.

*This soup was delicious! I loved the strong flavor and thick texture. I threw my peas into the soup, just for more veggies. Thanks for a yummy chicken noodle recipe!

Shannon's Chicken Enchiladas, Green Salad, Corn

This chicken enchilada recipe is from Let Me Plan Dinner reader Shannon. She got the recipe from The Sister's Cafe. Thank you, Shannon, for sharing a favorite recipe!

I'll be serving these enchiladas with a green salad and corn.

I am so excited to try this recipe! I will be making a few minor adjustments to help fit our budget.

• First, I will be using about half as much cheese, maybe less (I planned a couple other cheesy dishes this week and I don't want to go overboard).
  
• I will be sticking with only 2 chicken breasts, and possibly throwing in a can of white beans to up the protein.
  
• I will also use milk instead of cream.

Here is Shannon's recipe verbatim:

Honey Lime Enchiladas
Marinade:
1/4 c. honey
4-6 T. lime juice (depending on how tangy you like it)
1 T. chili powder
1/2 t. garlic powder

2-4 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 (15 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
2 c. shredded Colby Jack (or whatever kind you have) cheese
1 c. heavy cream (I've used whole milk before too and it's fine)
8-10 flour tortillas

Mix up the marinade and toss with shredded chicken. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes. I toss mine together in a gallon ziploc and let it sit in the fridge all day.

Pour about 1/2 c. enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Fill tortillas with chicken and a little cheese. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and any leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until browned and crispy on top.

*Oh my goodness, these are delicious! I was a doofus and forgot to mix the milk/cream into the enchilada sauce, but the dish was fabulous even without. The honey-lime mixture is so flavorful and balances well with the other flavors in the dish. I will add one word of warning, however; I would not suggest you taste the honey-lime-chicken mixture by itself. I was trying to gauge how much lime juice to add (I used 5 T.), but I can tell you that the marinade is so powerful by itself that you think you've already gone overboard. I was quite relieved to find the final dish was so well balanced and tasty-- not overpowering like I'd feared. I also really enjoyed my addition of Great Northern (white) beans to the filling. I think they helped keep all the flavors in check, and they provided us extra protein without using as much meat.

Anyway, thank you, Shannon. It was a hit!