Chicken and Vegetable Risotto

I got this recipe from one of my favorite blogs and have made this several times. I have always wanted to make risotto, but it has seemed like a difficult thing to get right and very time consuming, so I've just stayed away from those recipes. Until I found Emily's chicken and veggie risotto recipe over at One Lovely Life blog. It is so simple to make and is done in about 30-40 minutes. And it's a one pot wonder - your meat, rice and veggies are all in one spot, so you can add a salad, some fruit or crusty bread and you have a filling meal and not a whole lot of work. Check out her blog for more amazing recipes!

Chicken and Vegetable Risotto (One Lovely Life blog)

1 Onion, chopped
1 Bell Pepper, diced (I use red or orange)
3-4 TBSP Olive Oil (plus drizzle for chicken breasts)
2 Cups Arborio Rice
8 Cups Chicken or Beef Broth
1-2 Cups Diced or Shredded Chicken
1/2 Cup Frozen Peas
2-3 Green Onions, sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pat 3-4 chicken breasts dry and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper on both sides. Place on cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside while you start on the risotto.

In a large dutch oven, add olive oil, onion and bell pepper. Cook on medium heat until just translucent. Add rice to pot and coat in oil (adding a little more if needed). Pour in all 8 cups of broth and stir well over medium heat. The first 15 minutes, you can just stir occasionally, but the last 15 minutes of cook time, you will want to stir the pot often and keep the rice moving. During the first 15 minutes of cook time, chop chicken and add to pot. Once broth is absorbed and risotto is creamy, add in the frozen peas and green onions. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Copycat Chipotle Grill Burrito Bowls

Since moving to Indiana, I've discovered a yummy spot to eat called Chipotle Grill. If you've never been to one, think Tex-mex version of Subway. Just with MUCH fresher and better ingredients. So, their burrito bowls are just amazing. They are a bowl full of burrito ingredients like cilantro lime rice, black beans, seasoned chicken (or steak), cheese, lettuce, guacamole, etc. - just without the tortilla shell. And let me just say - the cilantro lime rice is divine. Totally makes the dish. I just love them and I told Mike that I was pretty sure that I could recreate that same meal at home. And tonight, I did just that. I wish I had a picture to share with you - but we all ate it so fast, that I didn't think about a picture until I was cleaning up the kitchen. Oh well - you'll get the idea. It's a bowl full of the following things - and before you dismiss the recipe because it seems like a lot of different steps, just trust me, they are all easy to do and it comes together quickly!

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 Cup Basmati Rice
2 Cups Water
1 tsp. Salt
1 Lime, zest included
3 tsp. Vegetable Oil, divided
3 TBSP Fresh, Chopped Cilantro

Add rice, water, salt and 1 tsp. oil to pan. Bring to boil, stir and then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Once liquid is absorbed, fluff rice with a fork, add remaining 2 tsp. oil, lime juice and zest and cilantro and stir well.


Seasoned Black Beans

1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
Dash Cayenne Pepper
Salt to taste
Juice of 1/2 a lime

In a pan, add oil, onion and garlic. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes or until onion has become translucent. Add water, black beans and seasonings to pan, bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid is almost gone. Stir in lime juice.


For my chicken, I took 3 chicken breasts and put them on a cookie sheet. Pour a small amount of olive oil on both sides of each breast (enough to lightly coat) and sprinkle with the following spice mix: 1 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. chili powder and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bake breasts at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Shred meat and set aside to assemble burrito bowls.

To assemble bowls, add rice to bottom. Next add seasoned black beans, chicken and then top with any (or all) of the following items:

Guacamole
Cheese
Sour Cream
Pico
Shredded Lettuce
Salsa

ENJOY!!!!

My Mexican Concoction

A couple nights ago I was talking to Mike and the girls about a dish at a local Mexican restaurant that seems to be a fan favorite. If I remember right it's called the Steven Special. It's rice, chicken and cheese sauce. Mike said he gets this same thing at another spot and it's called the Emily Special. I told him that I was sure I could make my own version and tonight I was on a mission to make the Chrissy Special.

I'm not a huge fan of the Spanish Rice that you make out of the box, but I thought it needed to be a little more seasoned than just regular old white or brown rice. So I whipped up my own rice, bought a rotisserie chicken and made some queso and I gotta say, the whole family loved it. Here's what I did:

For the rice:

2 Cups Brown (or white) Instant Rice - cooked according to box
Then stir in the following:

Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1-2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Garlic Powder

I then took the skin off a rotisserie chicken and used the white meat, chopped/shredded it up and placed it on top of the rice bowls.

For the queso, I bought the new White Velveeta cheese and used 16 oz. and 1 can of Rotel, heated them through and topped the rice bowls with a couple spoonfuls of the cheese sauce.

My husband heated up some soft taco shells and filled them with the mixture, I ate mine just as a rice bowl and had chips and queso on the side and my girls used tortilla chips to scoop up their mixture. All great options and I think this will be something we put in a regular rotation! So good and much healthier than what you get at the restaurants!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

I bet you can't guess where I found this recipe! :)

Made these for dinner tonight and my family thought I was absolutely amazing. I mean, I pretty much am, but chicken wrapped in bacon just pushed me right over the edge. HA! (Just in case you are reading this and don't actually know me - I'm TOTALLY Kidding!)

I didn't even get to snap a picture of the finished product, because they were gone so fast. These would be good as a meal (I served them with baked potatoes and corn), or as a Holiday appetizer or Superbowl App! They are a little sweet and a little spicy and so good. Plus, just 4 ingredients and you're done. EASY!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 lb. Bacon
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 TBSP. Chili Powder

Preheat oven to 350.
Slice chicken into 1" bite size pieces and set aside. Take strips of bacon and cut into thirds, wrap a piece of the bacon around each piece of chicken and secure with a toothpick. Mix the brown sugar and chili powder together in a shallow dish and dredge bacon wrapped chicken in that mixture. Set on a broiler pan with a rack that has been greased well with cooking spray - (this allows the bacon fat/chicken drippings to drip down into the pan below). Bake 30 minutes or until bacon is crisp. May need a few minutes under the broiler at the end of baking time to crisp it well! Remove toothpicks and enjoy!

Creamy Grilled Chicken Picata

Here are 3 words that if they are used to describe any recipe, I'm pretty much willing to eat it: 1. Creamy 2. Pasta 3. Chicken

All three of those words describe this recipe that I made tonight and it was AWESOME! (Imagine me singing the word "awesome" in a semi-opera style voice cause that's what was going on in my head as I typed it.) :)

Here's the recipe and just a bit of info: It calls for grilling the chicken and since I didn't have the time (nor the desire) to grill outside, I used my Foreman Grill and it worked great.

Creamy Grilled Chicken Picata

Chicken Marinade
Juice of 1 lemon (3Tbsp)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp basil or oregano
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Pasta and Sauce
1 lb. box Penne Pasta (I used about 3/4ths of the box)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 cup half and half
1-2 tsp dried basil
2 Tbps capers (optional-I left these out)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients and mix well. Place chicken in a ziplock bag and pour marinade over chicken. Marinate at least 2 hours minimum and up to 24 hours max in the refrigerator. When ready, grill until done. Allow chicken to rest for a few minutes and then slice into strips to serve over pasta.

While chicken is grilling, cook pasta according to directions (10-12 minutes). Reserve 1/2-1 cup of pasta water and drain. In skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Whisk in garlic and lemon juice. Pour in half and half and whisk until hot. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Add the parmesan cheese, basil and capers, and heat until cheese is melted. Check the consistency of the sauce and add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Toss in pasta. (Add more pasta water if noodles soak up too much of the sauce.)

Slice chicken and stir into sauce. Sprinkle with more parmesan if desired.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Pinterest strikes again! Here's another recipe I made a couple weeks ago that I found on Pinterest - it was great! Southwest chicken wraps that are all hot and crispy and just chock full of yumminess! Here's what you need:

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

1 cup cooked rice (warm or room temp)
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken **I sauteed chicken tenderloins in olive oil and seasoned them with garlic powder, seasoning salt and pepper and then shredded with forks**
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (I used 1/2 can)
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced (optional)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I left this out)
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese
Sour cream (optional)
6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. If you like sour cream, you can spread some on the tortilla first, then add cheese and then the rice/chicken mixture. Roll stuffed tortillas like a burrito. Then spray all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve. I served with additional sour cream and salsa on the side for dipping! So good! And even great reheated the next day for lunch! :)

Photo and recipe courtesy of www.melskitchencafe.com

Breaded Garlic Chicken in Lemon Butter Sauce

Here's another new recipe that I found on Pinterest and made last week. So, so good! The one thing I will do next time is double the lemon butter sauce - it was great as is, but I like things kind of saucy! HA! I made zucchini and pasta salad with this and it was great. Garlicky, lemony, YUMMY!

Breaded Garlic Chicken in Lemon Butter Sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup seasoned flour (1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper)
5 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon parsley flakes or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
3 eggs
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 tablespoons butter

Place the seasoned flour in a large gallon-size ziploc bag. Set aside. In a shallow pie plate, beat the eggs until mixed and add the Parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Let it begin to heat and sizzle while you prepare the chicken but be careful not to let the butter burn and turn brown.

Put the four chicken breasts in the bag with the seasoned flour, close the bag, and shake to coat the chicken in the flour. One by one, take the chicken out of the bag and dip into the egg/Parmesan mixture. Place the chicken carefully in the skillet with the hot oil/butter. Repeat with the other chicken breasts. Let the chicken cook on the first side, without moving or flipping the chicken, for 1-2 minutes until a nice, golden crust has formed. Carefully, using a wide spatula, flip the chicken and let it continue to cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side until it is golden brown. The chicken will flip easiest if it has had time to sizzle and cook to form a nice crust.

Remove the chicken to a 9X13-inch pan. Set aside while you make the sauce.

In the same skillet that you browned the chicken, melt the remaining four tablespoons butter. Add the minced garlic, lemon juice, and parsley. Simmer the sauce for 1-2 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits that were on the bottom of the skillet.

Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Crescent Roll Chicken Wraps

Last week, my goal was to try a new recipe every night. Surprisingly, they were all a hit. Especially this recipe, which I found on Pinterest. I made up my filling that morning, put it in a storage bowl and refrigerated it until that evening when I was ready to put them together. It went really fast and they turned out so good. Kid friendly, but also something Mike and I liked a lot, too.

Crescent Roll Chicken Wraps

2 (8 ounce) cans Crescent Rolls
1 (10 3/4 ounce) cream of chicken soup, undiluted
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk

Filling
4 ounces cream cheese (very soft)
2 tablespoons butter (very soft but not melted)
1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp minced onion flakes or onion powder
2 large cooked chicken breasts, finely chopped (about 2 cups of meat)
1/2-3/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. milk
1-2 cup grated cheddar cheese (for topping)

Set oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray. Mix together milk, 3/4 cup cheese and undiluted chicken soup (can season with black pepper if desired).

For the filling --- (make certain that the cream cheese and butter are very soft) in a bowl, mix the soft cream cheese with butter until very smooth, then add in garlic powder. Add in the chopped chicken, onion and cheddar cheese; mix well until combined. Add in 2 tablespoons milk; mix to combine (add in a little more if the mixture seems too dry). Season with seasoned salt or white and black pepper to taste. Unroll the crescent rolls. Place 1 heaping tablespoon chicken mixture (or a little more) on top of each crescent triangle, then roll up starting at the thicker end. Drizzle a small amount of soup mixture on the bottom of the dish. Then place the crescent rolls seam-side down on top of the creamed mixture in the casserole.
Drizzle the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with 1 cup (or more) of shredded cheese.

Bake for about 30 minutes.

Spoonful of filling on crescent roll - then roll up and seal starting at the longer end.

All rolled up and ready for the oven

ALL DONE! YUMMY!!!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

My friend, Sarah (who you can find right HERE) posted this recipe last week and I just knew I had to make it! This morning I made up my menu for the week and put this down for tonight's meal. It was wonderful! Maddie even told me that it was better than Olive Garden, which made me feel pretty good. I left out the sun-dried tomatoes only because I looked all over the store and couldn't find them. A couple tips - I brought my sauce up to a very low boil, then turned it to a simmer and then added my noodles. The sauce will thicken once you add your noodles. DON'T rinse the linguine after they are cooked. The starches from the pasta will thicken your sauce. Another tip is to save your pasta water so that if it the noodles start to absorb too much of your sauce, you can add a ladle of pasta water and it will make it nice and creamy again. Enjoy! Thanks, Sarah, for posting the recipe - it's a winner! Oh and be on the lookout next month - Sarah has graciously offered to do a giveaway of some adorable fall/winter themed kitchen towels! I've already seen a preview of what she's making and they are adorable! So stay tuned!!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into small strips)
8 ounces linguini (cooked all dente)
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1 green onion (thinly sliced)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup parmesan cheese

Cut chicken into small strips, place in a bowl and toss in Cajun seasoning.

Melt butter in skillet and add chicken. Cook until no longer pink and juices run clear. Approx. 7-8 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, green onions, tomatoes, and seasonings. Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.

Toss with cooked noodles and stir to combine.

Sprinkle in parmesan cheese and serve! (I used this kind - not the kind in the green can.)

It was so quick, easy and thumbs up all around!

Paula Deen's Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

There really doesn't need to be any introduction to this recipe. The only thing you need to read is "Paula Deen" and then just go make it. Just remember - it's Paula. It's not fat free, not even remotely close. The gravy this recipe makes is good enough to pour over your entire plate of food. I won't say if I did that or not.

So, this week, in honor of a bunch of my teacher-friends gearing up to go back to work, I'm posting a great crock-pot recipe that hopefully will make your first week back to the grind a little easier. I'm sure the smell of this cooking away when you walk in the door from a crazy week back to school will wipe all your stress away! :)

Enjoy!

Paula Deen's Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup butter
1 pkg. Good Season's Italian Dressing packet
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. container cream cheese with chives and onion
1 cup chicken broth or White Cooking Wine

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker. In a saucepan, melt butter and stir in Italian dressing packet. Pour in soups, chicken broth and cream cheese and stir over medium heat until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat and pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

**Great served along side mashed potatoes or rice.

Coconut Chicken Strips and Dipping Sauce

Several weeks ago, a blog I read (Kelly's Korner) did a link up for people to list their favorite dinner recipes. There were so many great ones posted and several that I plan to try, but the first one that caught my attention was a recipe for Coconut Chicken Strips. I am a huge fan of the coconut shrimp and dipping sauce at Red Lobster, so I thought that these might be similar in flavor, but easier to make since the recipe calls for chicken. I was not disappointed. The girls and I loved them. Now, I'll have to be honest and tell you that this wasn't Mike's favorite recipe as he isn't a fan of mixing sweet and savory. The chicken wasn't overly sweet by any means, it was just right for me and if you are a fan of things like this, you will love it!

The dipping sauce made a ton, so you could easily half the recipe listed here and not have so much leftover. I did add extra powdered sugar to mine to give it a hint more sweetness - just taste it as you go to get it to your preferred taste.

I served mine with Rice Pilaf (Rice a Roni Brand), green beans and salad. It was a great combo. Enjoy and if you want to see all those recipes on Kelly's Korner, just click HERE.

Coconut Chicken

12 chicken tenders
1-2 eggs (start with one and crack another if it runs out)
1/2 C flour
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
1 C panko bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Give coconut a rough chop so it's about the same size as the panko pieces.
Combine it with Panko and spices in a shallow dish. Mix well to distribute all of the spices.
Place the flour in another shallow dish, and the egg in another. Give the egg a quick beating.
Working with a few chicken tenders at a time, dredge in flour. Dip in egg, then finally coat in the coconut Panko mixture. Press in with your fingers to make sure the entire thing is well coated.
Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. You can drizzle or spray olive oil on top for a crispier tender.
Bake in 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. If tenders are on the small side, they could even be done in about 15 minutes. If they're big they can take more like 25. The coconut will be nice and golden and the panko crisp, but light in color still.

Pineapple Dipping Sauce

1 cup yogurt
1 can pineapple tidbits (I used crushed pineapple - small can)
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 cup sweetened coconut
2 Tbsp coconut milk
Combine all, refrigerate until ready to use.

***Note: I did not use coconut milk - I just added a little extra coconut. She also said that sour cream can be used in place of plain yogurt.

Chicken Fajitas

This is the first time I'm adding a recipe to my blog prior to making it myself. I found this on another blog yesterday and thought it sounded so good. She recommended marinating the chicken overnight for the best flavor. I'm for sure putting this on my menu next week. I thought these would be great with some homemade guacamole, chips and salsa. I'll come back and let you know how we liked them, but from the list of ingredients, I don't see how they won't be anything less than amazing! Let me know if you try them out!

Chicken Fajitas

Marinade:
1 lime, juiced and zested
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more if desired for heat)
1 teaspoon salt

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large), sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced (or a combination of green, yellow, orange and red peppers)

Combine marinade ingredients. Add chicken. Place in a large Zip-Lock bag or a shallow non-metal bowl covered with plastic wrap. Marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Saute the onions and the peppers for 8-9 minutes over medium heat until browned.

Discard marinade. Add chicken to skillet, and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until cooked through.

Serve with warm tortillas.

Easy Chicken Dinner

Ok, this one, I'm almost embarrassed to post. It requires no culinary wizardry at all. But, it's good. And it goes in your crock-pot. And if you throw in a salad or some apple sauce you have a full meal with very little effort. What busy mom or working girl doesn't like that idea. A good, complete meal cooking for you while you go about your day. Here's what you need to do and you can go ahead and start calling me Emeril at any time. :)

Crock-Pot Chicken Dinner

4-6 Chicken Breasts (frozen or thawed)
2 Cans Whole New Potatoes, drained
1/2 Bag Baby Carrots
1 Can each - Cream of Chicken and Cream of Mushroom Soup
Salt, Pepper, Garlic and Onion Powder to taste

Dump it in your crock-pot, stir, set to high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Easy, peezy, lemon squeezy.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

A friend from church recently told me about her homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza and I knew I had to give it a try for myself. I used one of my favorite things - a rotisserie chicken from Walmart - these things are so useful in so many different recipes! I also bought the refrigerated pizza dough by Pillsbury (found by the canned biscuits) - which was so good! This came together really fast and everyone loved it! It's nice for a little change every once in a while! Add a side salad and you have a great meal and a lot healthier than regular pizza! Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

White Meat (skin and bones removed) from a Rotisserie Chicken - Chopped
1 Can Refrigerated Pizza Dough - Rolled out fairly thin
Red Onion - Thinly sliced
BBQ Sauce - Any kind (I used Sweet Baby Ray's - Honey BBQ Flavor)
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Roll out pizza dough and place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 4-5 minutes at the temperature stated on the can. (This will help to crisp up your dough a little before adding your ingredients.) Take out of oven and layer the following: BBQ Sauce, shredded chicken, red onion, cheese. Bake the remaining amount of time or until crust is lightly golden and cheese is melted.

Chicken Tacos - Crock Pot Recipe

Here's a recipe that a friend from church gave me a while back. They are so easy to throw together and always taste great! A little change from regular beef tacos. Just toss all the ingredients in your crock-pot and when they are done, add your favorite toppings and you have a quick meal.

Chicken Tacos

4 Chicken Breasts (Frozen or thawed)
1 Can Chicken Broth (I use fat free/low sodium)
1 Can Rotel
1 Packet Chicken Taco Seasoning

Add all the above to the crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4 hours. When chicken is tender, remove from crock pot and shred up with 2 forks. Put shredded meat back into crock pot with all the juices and stir.

I use regular flour tortillas and top with cheese, lettuce and sour cream. Add some chips and salsa and enjoy an easy meal!

White Chili (or Chicken Chili)

Well, it's that time of year again! It's getting cold and in my house, that means it's time for soup! I made this the other night along with Sandwich for a Crowd (see recipe in older posts) and it tasted so great together. It's a nice little change from regular chili and is easy to put together. You could even put it in your crock-pot and let it cook on low for several hours for a yummy meal after work one day.

White Chili

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Cans White Meat Chicken-drained and chopped
2 Cans Great Northern Beans-drained and rinsed
1 small can Green Chilies
1 large Onion-chopped
4 cloves Garlic-minced
6 Cups Chicken Broth (I used fat free/low sodium)
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 1/2 tsp. Oregano
2 tsp. Cumin
3 Cups Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (and extra for topping)
Sour Cream for topping
Salt to taste

In a large stock pot, add olive oil and cook onion and garlic over medium heat until soft. Add beans, chilies, chicken and chicken broth. Stir in pepper, oregano, cumin and salt - combine well. Turn to low heat and add 3 cups shredded cheese. Let simmer for at least an hour or put in crock-pot and let cook on low for several hours.

When ready to eat, top each bowl with extra cheese and sour cream. (Don't forget to check out the recipe for Sandwich for a crowd! They went great together!)

Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken

Here's another great crock-pot recipe! I found this on another blog (same one I found the previous recipe) and made it for the first time this week. It's simple and really good. Another one that the whole family loved, which is just great! I am trying to find more crock-pot meals because with a new baby, it is just easier to throw a good meal together if all I have to do in the evening is make a few sides and the biggest portion of the meal is already done. I know a lot of you work full-time and love using your crock-pot, too. This one uses just a couple ingredients and was really good with mashed potatoes. But since it's bbq, you could also make baked beans, baked potatoes, or any other side you like with bbq and it would be awesome!

Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken

4-6 Frozen Chicken Breasts
2 Cans of Coca-Cola (I had a 2-liter and used about 16 oz.)
1 Bottle BBQ Sauce (I used Kraft BBQ sauce, original blend)

Put everything in crock-pot, stir to combine the soda and sauce. Cook on low all day or on high 4-5 hours.

Creamy Italian Chicken - Crock Pot Recipe

I found this recipe on another blog site recently and just had to try it out. I love crock pot recipes and am always looking for something new - especially on Sundays! It's nice to throw it in before church and then come home to a nice hot meal. All of us really liked this a lot. It's simple to throw together and is great served over rice! I also made some green beans and garlic toast to go with it. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Creamy Italian Chicken

4 frozen chicken breasts
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 pkg. Dry Good Seasons Italian Dressing

Place chicken in crock pot. Break cream cheese and butter into pieces and place all over top of chicken. Sprinkle Italian dressing packet over top and cook on low all day, or on high for 4 hours. Serve over rice.

Oh Pioneer Woman, How I love thee!

Had I known about the Pioneer Woman's website a long time ago, my dinner making life would have been much easier. I have been feverishly searching her site since last weekend looking at as many recipes as I possibly can and have several that I'm going to try out. My sister tried this one in particular the other night and emailed me to tell me that it was a must make. Let's just say that she didn't lead me astray. This pasta tasted like it came from an Italian restaurant, not my little kitchen. You have to try it. I whipped it together in 30 minutes and although I did alter the recipe a little from the original (I used chicken instead of shrimp and chicken broth instead of wine), it was still great! If you want to try it in its original form, check out her website and search "Pasta a la Betsy". But, if you are looking for quick, easy, and kid friendly - go buy yourself a rotisserie chicken from Walmart or your grocery store (most found in the deli section), remove the skin from the white meat, cut in chunks and you are good to go! Hope you like it as much as we did. Thank you Pioneer Woman!

Pioneer Woman's Pasta a la Betsy (with a couple alterations)

2 Tbsp. Butter (not margarine)
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
8 oz. Can Tomato Sauce
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Fresh Basil and Parsley (about 1 Tbsp. each, chopped)
Rotisserie Chicken - Skin and bones removed (I used white meat only and chopped into bite size pieces)
1 lb. Penne Pasta, Cooked to al dente

In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil. Add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes or until onion is translucent. Stir in chicken broth and cook on medium for about 3-5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce well and then add whipping cream. Stir until well combined and turn to a simmer. While simmering, chop chicken and fresh herbs. Add chicken to sauce mixture and stir in basil and parsley. Drain penne well and stir into sauce. (I used a little less than a full lb. of the pasta so that it didn't drink up all my sauce as she recommends). Serve with a salad and garlic bread and enjoy!!

(Again, I altered this for our family. If you would prefer it with shrimp, please go to her website and search this recipe to make it as she recommends. I didn't have access to fresh shrimp and it wasn't as kid friendly as the chicken.)

Chicken Pizza

We love pizza in this house. I like to make it homemade as much as I like the easy nights when we just order delivery from Papa John's. This recipe has been around forever - my mom started making it a long time ago and it's just a nice little change from the regular old sausage or pepperoni pizza that we have all the time. It's so much healthier and has a great flavor. It's great with a Caesar salad or just an Italian salad and garlic bread. Definitely one to give a try when you need a change from the same old-same old!

Chicken Pizza

2 Pizza Crusts (I buy the crusts that are ready to go from my grocery store - they come 2 per bag and they are really good)
2-3 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1-2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, finely chopped
1 Can Petite Diced Tomatoes (I usually buy the type that is seasoned with garlic and olive oil or something like that)
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Dry Basil
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
2-3 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese to taste

Brush both pizza crusts lightly with olive oil and set aside. Saute chicken in olive oil with onion until chicken is cooked through. Once cooked through, add tomatoes, salt, basil, pepper and garlic powder and stir well. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Put 1/2 of chicken mixture on each crust. Top with cheeses and bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.