Creamy Chicken Verde Enchiladas

Creamy Chicken Verde Enchiladas
Adapted from Joyful Mommas Kitchen

Chicken Filling

2 lbs. chicken breast

butter/EVOO

1/4 diced onion

salt, pepper, taco seasoning

White Sauce

3 T butter

3 T flour

2 c. chicken broth

1 c. sour cream/greek yogurt

1-4 oz. can diced green chilies

1 or 2 boiled and diced jalapenos

2-3 generous handfuls Monterrey Jack cheese

9-10 flour soft taco tortillas

1. Saute chicken breasts in butter/olive oil with onions.  Season with taco seasoning, salt, and pepper. When chicken is cooked through, shred it with forks or an electric mixer. Set aside until you assemble enchiladas.

2. Prepare enchilada sauce by first making a roux with 3 T butter and 3 T flour.  Melt butter over medium heat.  Add in flour.  Allow the butter and flour to cook for a couple of minutes to get rid of the real "flour-y" taste. Do not let roux burn--it should just get slightly golden and bubbly.  Whisk in chicken broth.  Allow the sauce to thicken a bit before adding in sour cream, diced green chilies, and jalapenos.  (For the jalapenos, I boil them whole until they are fork tender.  When I remove them from heat, I let them cool for a few minutes before seeding and dicing them. The added jalapeno makes these enchiladas much more flavorful.  For spicier enchiladas, I would dice with seeds still intact.)

3. Assemble the enchiladas in a 9x13 baking dish.  Fill tortillas with shredded chicken, shredded cheese, and a drizzle of sauce.  Roll tightly, placing seam-side down.  Pour remaining sauce on top of enchiladas.  Top with cheese.

4. Bake @ 350 for 25-30 minutes.  Broil on Hi for the last 2 minutes so cheese can get toasted and browned.  Serve with Tomato-Salsa Rice, a vegetable, maybe some corn, or perhaps avocado drenched in lime?  

UGLY Chicken A La Christine

I named this chicken after my beloved boyfriend's mother.  She made this once over the summer when I was in Virginia and it wasn't like anything else I had ever eaten!  I was surprised by how tasty it is, especially because it's not the most visually appealing food--as shown in these pictures!  It doesn't get the UGLY in front of it's name because of Christine--she is actually a bombshell.  (Normal 50 year olds shouldn't be allowed to look as fantastic as her!)  It gets the UGLY in front of it's name because people are sometimes a little hesitant to taste it because it's so ugly!  Despite its appearance, however, give it a taste and you won't be disappointed!

Tastes WAY better than it looks!

It is made with an ingredient that I find particularly odd--dried beef!  Yikes! "Dried" and "beef" in the same product name, under any normal circumstances, make me worry.  Who wants beef that's dried out and comes in a little jar that doesn't expire for months?! Well, maybe I just think it's weird because my family never consumed dried beef while I was growing up.  I'm sure my mother would have had no idea what to do with it!  Or, perhaps it's more of a southern-type ingredient--you know, it's used in Cream Chipped Beef.  Either way, this dish makes excellent use of dried beef--it adds a nice saltiness, and now I'm not as skeptical of it!

I found this in the store by the tuna, Spam, etc.

Browsing the internet, I learned that this isn't solely a creation of Christine's.  But, she gets credit for introducing this to me.  Since this summer, I've made it for my family, and they've also enjoyed it as much as I do! The chicken is tender and slow-cooked, the cream sauce is divine and tastes great with mashed potatoes, and the bacon and beef give it lots of flavor.

STEP ONE: Line the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish with dried beef.  No need to grease dish.  You can also use like a glass casserole/hot dish.

STEP TWO: Wrap 6 chicken breasts with 2-3 slices of the dried beef and 1 piece of bacon.  I had two extra pieces of bacon so I also threw those in there!  

OPTIONAL: You can definitely throw in some mushrooms!  I put some sliced white button mushrooms on 1/2 only, because I knew my brother wouldn't touch this with a 10 ft. pole if it had visible 'shrooms!

STEP THREE: Combine 8 oz. (1 cup) of sour cream with 1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup.  Spread atop chicken and mushrooms.  

STEP FOUR: Cover with aluminum foil.  Bake @275 for ~3 hours.  I like to take it out at the halfway mark just to mix the sauce because it separates a bit. I also stir it again, then cook uncovered for the last 15 minutes or so.

***This will be very soupy if you make it in the slow cooker! NO BUENO!

Chicken Pad Thai made Healthier

This dish was surprisingly good!  I found it on the blog, Stuff We Ate.  After a few small adjustments, this recipe made a healthy, very flavorful Thai dish that was definitely nice for a change.

My family was a little reserved when I made this dish--a little hesitant to try it and a little setback by its looks and use of spaghetti squash.  Up until now, spaghetti squash has been a bit of a mystery to us.  No doubt, we had heard of it, but we didn't know the reason behind the same.  It literally shreds into a spaghetti-like consistency.  I loved it, and it will probably be making much more of an appearance in my cooking from here on out.

In order for spaghetti squash to be shredded into strands of squash spaghetti, and used in recipes like this one, it must first be baked. To do so:

Cut it in half, lengthwise

Salt & Pepper flesh

Place halves, rind side up, on baking sheet

Bake at 350

45-55 minutes

Remove to cool

Shred with a fork

Ready to add to your recipes as a pasta substitute!

NOTE: Spaghetti squash is difficult to cut--if you're really having a hard time, consider microwaving it whole for about a minute or two to soften it.

Spaghetti Squash Chicken Pad Thai

1 large spaghetti squash, prepared as mentioned above

1 c. chopped bok choy

1 c. chopped carrots

1 small can water chestnuts, drained and sliced

1 t. minced garlic

3 diced chicken breasts

EVOO

While spaghetti squash is cooling, saute chicken, carrots, bok choy, and garlic until cooked through.  Season with salt and pepper, and add in water chestnuts.  Set aside.

For the sauce:

1/2 c. chicken broth

3 T peanut butter

1.5 T rice vinegar

2 T soy sauce 

1 T sriracha sauce (2 T if you like it spicy)

Whisk sauce ingredients together and pour into pan, heat until hot, bubbly, and smooth. Combine chicken/vegetable mixture and spaghetti squash in with sauce.  Toss to coat everything.  Check for taste--more soy sauce? more sriracha?  Definitely top with garnishes!  

Garnishes:

dry roasted peanuts

cilantro

lime 

scallions

This is one of those recipes that tastes even better reheated the next day!

Chicken Trombino

Chicken is simmered in a roasted red pepper tomato sauce and topped with perfectly melty provolone cheese. This delicious chicken just goes to show, that sometimes the simplest of ingredients can combine to  make the most delicious meals.  

Before cooking this dish, you need to roast a red bell pepper. Yes, you can buy them in a jar--but i like to use excess garden bells, so I roast my own. You can do this in a number of ways--just Google it!  I usually roast mine under the broiler or over a gas flame.  I simply cut the pepper flesh off of the core, place it on a cookie sheet, and broil it in my oven. ((don't use your Silpat like I did--high broiling temps reduce the durability of your Silpat)) Usually I will do like 3-5 minutes on low--to soften it a little--then I crank it up to high and let the skin get all black and burned.  After that, I let them cool until I can easily handle them, then peel off the burnt skin.  And that's all it takes! Alternatively, you can also roast them over the open flame of a gas stove.  Turn the burner on high, stab a fork in your pepper, and crisp the skin directly in the flame.

Chicken Trombino

1.5-2 lbs. chicken breast

salt/pepper

1/3 c. flour

2-3 T. olive oil/butter

Either cut breasts into thin cutlets or pound until uniform in thickness.  Season with salt and pepper.  Dredge in flour. Fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. (the dredging is optional--this also turns out well without dredging in flour)

2 T. butter

1 t. minced garlic

1 roasted red pepper, diced (~1/2 c.)

5-6 plum or campari tomatoes, diced (or whatever garden excess tomatoes you might have)

1 t. dried oregano

1/4-1/2 c. red cooking wine

1 t. tomato paste

dash of Worcestershire sauce

4-5 slices or 1 c. grated provolone cheese

3-5 T. ribboned or chopped basil

Melt butter over medium heat.  Saute garlic until slightly golden.  Add red peppers and tomatoes. Stir until combined.  Once hot and starting to bubble, add in 1/4 c. of wine.  Allow sauce to simmer and wine to cook down.  Stir in tomato paste and oregano. Add another splash or two of wine.  Place chicken in sauce.  Cover each piece of chicken with provolone cheese.  Reduce heat to low and cover skillet.  Allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes.  ((If you would like, you can even gently broil the cheese on top to golden brown goodness)) Top with fresh basil....the fresh basil is a MUST! 

*Try serving over egg noodles or a bed of quinoa, or with a fresh salad and roasted asparagus!

Credit: Lidia's Italy

For another simple chicken dinner that packs HUGE flavor, click HERE!

Garlicky Lime Pan Chicken

Creamy Orange Chicken Pasta

Chicken is sauteed in butter, then seasoned generously with salt, pepper, and a little ground red pepper.

2 heaping tablespoons of Orange Marmalade are mixed in.

& a tablespoon of Dijon Mustard.

Heavy Cream is stirred in and sauce is allowed to thicken.

 Tyler and I started dating in college.  Coming from a family where the expression, "The way to a man's heart is through his belly," is touted as being most definitely truth, I was eager to cook for Tyler.  His mom gave me a few recipes for easy dishes that he liked and that I would be able to prepare in my make-shift dorm kitchen--toaster oven, hot plate, and electric skillet. This pasta is great for a weeknight dinner because it is so fast to whip up and only requires a few ingredients.  It is also surprisingly tasty.

Creamy Orange Chicken

3 chicken breasts, cubed

2-3 T butter

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

dash-1/8 t. ground red pepper

2 heaping T orange marmalade

1 T dijon mustard

2 c. heavy whipping cream

3/4-1 lb. prepared pasta, depending on how "saucy" you like your pasta

Sauté chicken breasts in butter.  Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper.  After chicken has started to brown, stir in marmalade and dijon mustard, coating chicken cubes. Add in heavy cream and allow sauce to simmer until thickened.  If sauce gets too thick, thin out by adding a splash of water or milk.  Serve over pasta.  (OPTIONAL: Top with sliced or slivered, toasted almonds)

Creamy Mushroom Chicken A La Gloria

This is one of the ugliest dishes I've ever made.  But, surprisingly, it was really delicious!  I guess you can't judge a book by it's cover, right?!?  I made this last weekend when Tyler and I went to the river house.  Leftovers for lunch the next day were great.  Credit goes to Cooking With Sugar for this one.

Chicken A La Gloria

1.5 lbs. thin sliced chicken breasts (or 3 breasts, halved)

1/3 c. all purpose flour

3 T vegetable oil

Season chicken breasts with salt & pepper.  Coat in flour, and brown both sides in vegetable oil.  Transfer to a 9x13" casserole dish. 

2 T butter

8 oz. sliced baby bella or button mushrooms

1/2 c. cooking sherry

1 sm. can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup

1/2 c. milk

6-8 slices Muenster cheese

chopped parsley (for garnish)

Drain excess vegetable oil from pan that chicken was cooked in. Add butter.  Saute sliced mushrooms.  Deglaze pan with sherry, scraping up the browned dripping from when chicken was cooked.  Add in milk and condensed soup.  Stir and allow to get hot and bubbly.  Pour over chicken.  Top each slice with Muenster cheese.  Melt cheese to golden perfection under the broiler.  Try serving with pasta or rice.  Also great on it's own.

Fabulous Chicken Marsala

Despite having an impending organic chemistry final tomorrow, at a weak moment I logged onto Pinterest. I have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest.  I love it because it has so many wonderful ideas, but hate it because it has the tendency to lead to hours and hours of procrastination.  

Ah, procrastination.  Why do today what I can do tomorrow? 

PROCRASTINATORS UNITE, right?!

 Of course, after scrolling through all sorts of flavorful fare, I just had to try out one of the new recipes I pinned.  And so, suddenly needing a break from my study of Nucleophilic Substitution reactions, I decided that I would make this Chicken Marsala for dinner!  It did not disappoint! 

Chicken Marsala

For the pan-fried chicken:

1-1/2 lb. chicken breasts

salt & pepper

1/2 c. flour

vegetable oil

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, coat with flour, and pan-fry in a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. (If chicken breasts are thick, slice in half or pound out before frying.)  Allow cooked chicken to drain on paper towels. Reserve drippings for sauce.

For the marsala sauce:

3-4 strips of bacon, chopped

8 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T. tomato paste

1-1/4 c. Marsala wine

1/2 c. chicken stock

4 t. lemon juice***

4 T. butter

salt & pepper

To drippings leftover from chicken breasts, add your chopped bacon.  Fry until crispy and remove--drain on paper towels.  Toss in sliced mushrooms.  Saute until soft and golden over medium heat.  Drain off any excess oil, especially if there is a lot (I prefer blotting with paper towels).  Add in garlic, continue sauteing until golden.  Add tomato paste to sauteed mushrooms, and stir to dissolve paste and coat all of the mushrooms.  Allow the tomato paste to brown a little bit (~1-2 minutes), then deglaze the pan with marsala wine.  Over medium-high heat, allow the sauce to come to a simmer and begin reducing.  Add in chicken broth.  Continue simmering and reducing.  After a couple of minutes, once sauce has reduced and is no longer a thin liquid, cut heat to low and stir in lemon juice and butter. Add crisped bacon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Return chicken breasts to pan.  Turn to coat with sauce.  Best served with egg noodles.

***The original recipe called for lemon juice.  Although I did add it, it seemed pointless.  I think the tomato paste provided enough acidity, and the lemon flavor was also masked by the wine, for the most part.  If you don't have lemon juice on hand, then I would consider skipping it altogether.  

Adapted slightly from Pass the Sushi