Chicken parm meatballs

This is one of those recipes that for once I didn't have to change the main ingredient, see I stopped eating red meat oh about 3-4 years ago. I did it for health reasons and do feel much better but.... since I can't have a big ole juicy steak I try to replace meat with say chicken or turkey whenever I can to get my fix. Ya know,  turkey tacos, turkey lasagna, turkey meatloaf, turkey stuffed peppers, seeing a trend here. Me too!! I guess I tend to gravitate more towards turkey then chicken, not sure why really but it seems there are more recipes out there with turkey as a meat substitute then chicken. I must say
that over the past few weeks I have been using more ground chicken and darn it what have I been missing.

Until I came across this little gem of a recipe by Jenny Rosenstratch  from  Dinner a Love Story  over on Pinterest, yes my obsession with Pinterest has only increased.  This is a great blog by the way so go check her out! This is a great recipe when you are craving chicken parm with out all the fuss.. The dipping, the breading, the mess!! Oh my! None of that here with these yummy Chicken Parm Meatballs.  Or should we call them chicken balls, since really they are not meat.. Hmmmm I think we shall!! I am a huge fan of chicken parm, and it happens to be one of families favorites. Maybe it's the ooey gooey cheese or the sauce whatever it is I love it and this was a great substitute for it! I of course made some changes when do I not! I used gluten free breadcrumbs and NO fennel seed, just not a fan. I also think next time I will grate the onion and garlic, for textural reaaons. I felt that the onions were to big chopped in the balls. They were sooooo good and a definite keeper recipe!!

Chicken Parm Meatballs

Adapted from Dinner a Love Story 

Preheat oven to 400 

Items needed

Foil lined baking sheet 

Baking dish 

1 1/4 pounds ground chicken 

1/2 cup breadcrumbs **

2 tbs chopped onion**

1 tbs chopped parsley**

1/2 cup Pecorino or Parm, more for topping 

Salt  & pepper to taste

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp fennel seeds* *

1 egg, whisked

Zest of half a lemon

3 tbs olive oil

1 14oz can pizza sauce, I used Targets new Simply Balanced Tomato Sauce 

About 4 oz fresh mozzerella, a dozen slices

Set oven rack to upper third partof oven 

In a large bowl using your hands ( ok a little messy) gently mix together the first 11 ingredients. Shape into lacrosse size balls.. (For those not in the know its between a golf and tennis ball, I had no clue lol) and place a few inches part on a foil lined baking sheet 

In a small bowl mix your tomato sauce and olive oil and brush on top of each meatball. Bake for 15 minutes. 

Remove meatballs from the oven and spoon some sauce over each meatball and cover each ball with mozzarella cheese. Broil another 3-5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown a bit.

You can heat the remaining sauce and serve each ball with some sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

*** I will next time grate the onions and garlic

**** didn't have fresh parley so used dried

*** I used gluten free breadcrumbs 

Eat and enjoy! 

What's your favorite way to switch up a classic like meatballs?  

Chicken Pot Pie

This has got to be one of my favorite comfort foods, and if I could I would probably eat it at least once a week. My mother used to make it all the time growing up maybe that's why I love it so much. We have had some very rainy days around here and this is one of those comfy yummy recipes that is easy to make for a weeknight meal. This is also one of those recipes that you can play around with in the veggies department. When I have lots of chicken leftover I make some pies for my parents.. that’s right I said pies (plural) When I make this for my parents.. well I have to make two… see my father doesn't likes peas and well mom and my brother do so that means two pies…So you get my drift you can change it to suit your needs.

Chicken Pot Pie

Items Needed:

2 qt sauce pan

Pie Plate

Ramekins if making small one

Pre heat Oven to 425 degrees

• 1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box ( I only use one pie crust for the top no bottom but if you do use two follow the instructions for a 2 crust pie )
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
• 2 cups cooked veggies = carrots, peas, corn, potatoes what ever you have on hand
• 1 egg, beaten

• In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender 
• Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.If needed use a whisk to make sure all the flour is incorporated
• Stir in chicken and mixed veggies. Remove from the heat. Spoon the chicken mixture into a buttered pie plate.
• Place the pie crust on top of filling and press and flute the edges. Cut slits in several places in top crust. Brush crust with the egg.
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil or one of these to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

We serve ours with Cranberry sauce.. not sure if it is a New England thing... but it is oh so yummy!!

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

I love Hot Sauce! There is said it, I can add it to just about anything, except dessert that is! So when wondering what to make for dinner the other night I thought Buffalo Chicken….but with all this rainy,windy weather we have had I wanted something a little more…. comforting. So Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese it is. I knew that most recipes that I found would be quite fattening so I tried to slim it down a little… Just a little don’t worry! We always drink 1% Milk so that was one way to cut out some fat, and I subbed in Reduced Fat cheese instead of the full fat. And that's about it haha, so just a “little” healthy.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Preheat oven 375 degrees

Items Needed:

Baking dish

Skillet

Big Pot

• 3 Chicken breast, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/2 box of elbow pasta
• 1/2 c blue cheese dressing
• 2 cups shredded cheddar
• 1 c milk
• panko bread crumbs
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2- 1 c Franks Red hot sauce

• Bring large pot of water to a boil, once boiling add pasta and cook following box directions, cooking just under al dente because we are going to bake later
• Heat skillet to medium high heat and add chicken in batches, salt and pepper chicken and brown for 4-5 minutes, remove each batch to a plate, when all chicken is done return to skillet and add 1/2 c hot sauce and cook until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside
• Drain pasta and add pasta to baking dish by layering some pasta then some chicken ( makes it easier to mix together ) stir in the blue cheese dressing and mix well
• Wipe the chicken skillet clean and add the milk, bring to a slow boil adding shredded cheese in batches, once all melted add the cheese sauce to the pasta and chicken and carefully stir to combine all ingredients.
• Sprinkle top with enough panko breadcrumbs to cover dish and sprinkle a small handful of cheese, bake for about 25 minutes, tasting to make sure it is hot enough, and cheese and breadcrumbs are slightly browned

Eat and Enjoy!!!!!

What is your favorite add in to Mac and Cheese?

Chicken Quesadillas

As I have written before my hubby works most nights and that means I am on my own for dinner. Some times he makes it home at a reasonable hour and I wait others I'm just too hungry so I eat solo. The other night I was really torn wasn't really craving anything until I opened the fridge and saw the leftover roasted chicken from the other night and some cheese....Quesadillas it was!!! I love Mexican food, and this is a quick and easy meal that can be made for one or a whole gaggle of peeps.

Chicken Quesadillas

Items needed:

Non Stick Skillet

• Chicken, cooked and shredded
• Shredded cheese, I used a Mild Cheddar, you can use what you have
• salsa
• sour cream
• flour or corn tortillas( 2 tortillas per quesadilla)

•  I mix the chicken and the salsa together to keep the chicken moist while cooking, so mix them  together and set aside.

• Over medium heat warm up tortilla, one minute, sprinkle cheese, than layer the chicken and some more cheese, remember I LOVE CHEESE!! cook for 2 minutes to let the chicken heat up and cheese melt

• Place the 2nd tortilla over the filling and give a little press with your finger so that the top tortilla grabs onto the cheese for the flip. Cook for another minute or so
• Using a big spatula and being very careful flip the the tortilla over to brown the other side.
• Slice in quarters and serve with more salsa and sour cream for dipping....Yummy !!!

Eat and Enjoy!!!

Chicken and Black Bean Burrito

I was feeling like Mexican food, and tacos are my all time favorite Mexican food but I remembered seeing a recipe for Southwestern Chicken Burritos over at Recipe Shoebox. It looked yummy and when I saw that it had BBQ sauce in that's right I said BBQ sauce, I knew it was a recipe for us. My hubby LOVES BBQ sauce, so I took a look around to see what I had on hand since I didn't feel like going to the store..

I had left over chicken and a can of black beans so I was on my way. I bulked it up with some rice and served it up with some salsa and sour cream. 

Chicken and Black Beans Burrito

Items needed:

 Skillet 

• 2 cups chicken, I shredded mine
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 med onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 c BBQ sauce 
• 1/4 c chicken broth**
• 2-3 tsp hot sauce
• Brown rice, cooked
• Tortillas, Joseph's Low Carb Tortilla
• Salsa
• Sour cream
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Olive oil 

•  Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat
• Saute onions 3-4 minutes until translucent add garlic cook 2-3 minutes until soft
• Add beans and BBQ sauce, then add chicken and heat through add salt and pepper to taste
• Warm tortillas layer the rice, chicken and serve with condiments of choice

**** I added the chicken broth to the mixture because I felt it was a tad to thick for our taste. So add, don't add... what ever you like.... It will still be yummy!! 

***** Omit the chicken and make it a Veggie Burrito!!

 

What are your favorite Mexican dishes??

Salsa Chicken with Corn and Black Bean Salad

While watching an episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate....  Snack Attack on Food Network and seeing all the yummy snacks I got a craving for Mexican. They were showing Nachos that oozed with a creamy cheese sauce and chili and Taquitos with a Spicy Red Sauce. So I went to the kitchen to see what I had on hand, Chicken, salsa, corn and black beans was all I had so that's what it would be. I have made this salsa chicken many times it is a really simple meal that came together great with with the corn and black bean salad. 

Salsa Chicken

Items Needed:

Baking Dish 

Preheat oven

425 degrees

• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 jar salsa, I use Newman's Own Pineapple Salsa
• 3 chicken breasts,skinless boneless
• Cheddar Jack cheese, shredded 
• Sour Cream, optional
• Blue Corn Chips,optional
• Lime juice 

• Mix first four ingredients together more or less to taste
• Pat dry chicken and season generously with the above mixture, place chicken in baking dish and spoon salsa over chicken enough to cover each piece
•  Cook uncovered for 25-35 minutes then cover each piece with cheese turn oven to broil and cook an additional 2-4 minutes to melt cheese.
• Serve with sour cream and crumbled chips and a squeeze of lime. 
 

Corn and Black Bean Salad

• 1 can black beans,drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped **
• 1/4 c apple cider vinegar, its what I had you can use red wine vinegar also 
• 1 tbsp sugar, more to taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp chili powder, more to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp hot sauce, more to taste 
• lime juice

• Mix all ingredients together, adding more sugar, salt, chili powder and hot sauce to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour up to overnight. Finish off with a squeeze of lime juice.

*** I soaked the red onion in cold water for about 30 minutes or so it takes away the bite and bitterness that raw red onion has. It really mellows the flavor out.

Pizza Cacciatore

I am a big believer in using leftovers, growing up my father always wanted to use things up. It had become sort of a family joke with some of his concoctions and combination's. My grandfather was the same way and it so cute to see how much my father is becoming more and more like his father. Now I am more of a reuser than a reheater. I like to take something I made and turn it into a new dish but of course that isn't always easy. So sometimes I go back to an old favorite and pizza is it. Not only is it a great way to use up meat and veggies it is a pretty easy dish.

Now the only thing with this recipe was that after reheating; the peppers were a little too mushy to use for the sauce so I decided to puree the sauce and add some cream. It ended up very much like a vodka sauce with out the vodka.Which by the way is one of my favorite sauces. The sauce was so good that I ended up dipping my pizza in it..... and it was yummy.

Pizza Cacciatore

• 4-5 pieces leftover chicken cacciatore , shredded
• 1 1/2 c cacciatore sauce
• 1/2- 1 c cream,
  
• 2 c shredded cheese of choice
• Pizza Dough, homemade or ready made this time I used Pillsbury Pizza Dough
  

Preheat oven 375

• Roll out pizza dough on a pizza stone and prick with a fork all over to prevent bubbling bake 6-8 minutes
  
• Puree sauce in pan ( I used an Immersion Blender )
• Meanwhile heat up sauce in sauce pan until it reaches a boil, slowly add the cream until it is the consistency you want thick enough to use as a pizza sauce but not runny and whisk together, remove from stove set aside
  
• Take pizza dough out of oven and spread with a layer of sauce, then a layer of chicken and then sprinkle top with cheese, bake for 10 minutes or until cheese starts to bubble, and get slightly browned.
  

You know what I say YUMMY!!

Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

On a busy night who doesn't love to just order a pizza? And how easy is it to dial that number.. Just as easy as it is to make this quick and delicious pizza at home. I did have intentions of grilling up some chicken for my pizza but time was not on my side. My hubby was getting home early so I had to think quick. I wanted to make a homemade version of my favorite pizza so I stopped at the market and picked up a rotisserie chicken and Pillsbury Pizza dough.

Shosh's BBQ Chicken Pizza

Preheat oven to 415

• Can Pillsbury Pizza Dough
• 1 Rotisserie Chicken
• BBQ sauce, your choice I use Sweet Baby Ray's
• Shallot, sliced
• Shredded 4 blend cheese
  

• Take all white meat off of chicken and shred put in bowl with 2 tbsp. BBQ sauce
• Roll out pizza dough on a pizza stone and prebake dough for 5 minutes
• Squeeze BBQ sauce in a diagonal on pizza dough and spread chicken evenly over pizza dough
• Cover with cheese as much or little as you like and bake for 12-14 minutes until bubbly and yummy.
  

Its a square pizza so cut into squares and dig in!!
ENJOY!!

Chicken , with Capers and Cream Sauce

I was wrestling with what to make for dinner the other night , I felt like I was in a rut. The same old thing every week, so I hit the internet and looked for a new chicken dish. I was looking for something quick, elegant, and in the comfort food range. I didn't think that was too much to ask....was it?? I came across this at allrecipes.com a recipe for Chicken Breasts in Caper Cream Sauce.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Breasts-in-Caper-Cream-Sauce/Detail.aspx?prop31=1

It sounded right up my alley I just need to change things up a bit as I am known to do, so here is my version of their recipe.

I do not really care for dill so I omitted that, since I had read a few of the reviews and some people subbed-out tarragon for the dill, and I would have too but I plum forgot to add it to the sauce. I have a tendency to do that....

Chicken and Capers with a Cream Sauce

• 5 Chicken Breasts, pounded thin
• 1 8oz. carton of cream
• 1 sml shallot, diced
• salt and pepper to taste
• lemon juice to taste
• 1-2 tsp capers
• butter
• olive oil

• Melt 1 tbsp butter with 1 tsp olive oil
• Saute shallots until opaque then transfer to a plate
• Saute chicken in the shallot flavored butter/oil mixture 4-5 minutes each side and they are nicely browned, add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste
  
• Add carton of cream and simmer on low for another 5 minutes until chicken is cooked thoroughly, and add capers
• I finished it off with a swirl of honey to add a touch of sweetness
  

I served it with a traditional greenbean casserole ( yum) and two kinds of sweet potato. One sweet and one savory. I used a cinnamon chipotle seasoning blend I had for one and brown sugar and maple syrup for the other. All I can say is YUMMY!!!

ENJOY !!!