(SRC) Chicken Parm Soup

Chicken Parmesan has always been one of my favorites.  I have ordered it many a time as an entree and even as a sandwich. I have also made it quite frequently for my family and friends using this recipe. Up until yesterday I had never made it as a soup.  And since yesterday,  Chicken Parm Soup is ALL I have eaten.  I ate it for dinner, brunch the next day, lunch and yes, now as I type I have a lovely bowl next to me as a snack. It is beyond delicious.  Would you like a taste? How about the recipe?  Well, not to worry as I will share it with you just like the lovely Elizabeth from Food Ramblings shared it with me. 

I recently met Elizabeth through my March assignment for the Secret Recipe Club.  As soon as I clicked onto Food Ramblings I knew I was going to love every minute of my assignment.  Elizabeth has created a beautiful blog that is delicious, welcoming and absolutely appealing to the eye.  She has a fantastic assortment of recipes - all of which are organized with care.  I began my search for a recipe to make this month by clicking on her "DESSERTS" (no surprise there!).  I drooled over her Peanut Butter Whoppie Pies along with her Cookie Butter Banana Bread but then decided it best that I make something with chicken as I had quite a bit of it in the freezer that needed to be used.  With chicken in mind I browsed through Elizabeth's "Chicken" recipes and discovered Chicken Parm Soup. Delighted that I had everything on hand to make this soup, including a slow cooker, I measured, chopped, sprinkled and poured all the ingredients into my crock pot, pushed the necessary buttons and walked away.  4 hours later my house smelled delicious! The soup was ready and so were the tummies of my family.  Dinner was served with happiness! 

In the above three pictures you may have noticed the bread on the side of the plate.  Because I couldn't get the idea of making banana bread with Cookie Butter (from Trader Joe's) I also baked up a couple loaves of Cookie Butter Banana Bread.  If you would like to do the same you can find the 
recipe here.

 

In the meantime the recipe for Chicken Parm Soup can be found right here....


Chicken Parm Soup
(recipe from Food Ramblings)

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, raw and defrosted
1 onion, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp chopped basil + more for garnish
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese + more for garnish 
4 oz. pasta or rice of your choice (I used orzo) 
salt and pepper to taste  

Directions:
Place all of the ingredients into a slow cooker except for the pasta.  Cook on high for 3.5 hrs or low for 6 hours. Shred the cooked chicken breasts and put back into soup along with dried pasta or rice.  Cook for another 1/2 hour or until pasta is cooked fully.  Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese and chopped basil if you wish. Enjoy!! 

Happy Chicken Parm Soup Making!

An InLinkz Link-up

EASY Sesame Chicken

I cook a lot of chicken for my family.  That's no lie.  Everyone in my house likes chicken and well yes, it's good for you.   I will often buy at least 4 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts at a time and divide and freeze it up.   I can then just grab a bag of frozen chicken in the morning out of the freezer to defrost in the sink during the day and when it is time for dinner prep the breasts are ready to go. 

Of course the hard part comes when I have to figure out HOW to cook or bake the chicken.  Do I make a simple stir fry (for the 3rd time this month) or cube into pieces for breaded chicken nuggets or do I bake it in the oven, seasoned well along with a dash of prayer for it to remain moist?  So yes, I do often lack in creativity with all my stock in chicken breasts.  I find myself radiating often to the "chicken boards" on Pinterest in desperation for a new, fantastically DELICIOUS and SIMPLE recipe that will make my kiddos and my darling Jeff swoon with happiness over their dinner plates.

Believe it or not "swooning" did happen just the other night when I made this very dish that you see above.  Yes, purely simple and lovely, lovely praise over the delicious taste of Sesame Chicken that I, myself made with my own two hands came from the mouths of my family.  Honestly, I couldn't blame them!  This recipe for Sesame Chicken is perfection!  It tastes just like the Sesame Chicken we order from Lee Mt. Fuji (our favorite Chinese restaurant). All the flavors of tangy sweetness along with the hint of salt surrounding the tender chicken tenders is there.  And the best part is that YOU can make this very dish yourself and have the pleasure of having all your dinner companions "swoon" with happiness and admiration for YOU over the dinner you just prepared.  Just follow the recipe below.   

EASY Sesame Chicken

(recipe slightly adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice)

Ingredients :

3-4 chicken breasts - boneless and skinless, cut into 2" cubes

salt and pepper to taste

2 whole eggs or 3 egg whites 

1/3 cup cornstarch

4 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil

2-3 green onions - sliced thin

 

Sauce Ingredients:

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

fresh ginger - 1/2" grated or minced 

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:

In a large bowl whisk together eggs and cornstarch until they are well incorporated.  Toss in chicken cubes to coat.  

Heat a large frying pan with oil.  Once oil is hot add in egg coated chicken.  Cook chicken until golden brown on all sides and fully cooked - about 5-7 minutes. 

While chicken is cooking make sauce - whisk all together in a medium size bowl soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, freshly grated ginger and sesame seeds.

When chicken in fully cooked add in prepared sauce. Toss chicken with sauce to fully coat.   Sauce will thicken as it simmers with the chicken.  Take pan off of heat and serve chicken over rice along with steamed broccoli.  Sprinkle sliced greens onions over chicken to garnish if desired.  ENJOY!

Happy Sesame Chicken Cooking!

Super EASY and Super YUMMY Chicken Chili

Recently as I was browsing through one of my favorite food sites, Tasty Kitchen, I came up upon a lovely recipe for Chicken Chili.  The list of ingredients were very simple (all of which I had on hand) and it was put together in a crock pot. I was sold!  Simple ingredients, easy prep and slow cooker friendly - I couldn't ask for anything better. 

I altered the original recipe from TK member, forevernowandthen, in a couple of places. The original recipe called for a large (16 oz.) jar of salsa of which I didn't have so I used a small jar of salsa and a can of Rotel tomatoes.  The original recipe also called for 2 cans of white beans - I only had 1 can of white beans so I added a can of light kidney beans.  I have to say my alterations resulted in a very yummy meal.

Chicken Chili

(recipe altered from Forever Now and Then )

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless and skinless chicken, diced and cooked

1 jar (16 oz.) salsa  (I used a small jar of salsa and 1 can Rotel tomatoes)

1 1/2 lbs Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded (you could easily use a combo of Monterey and Cheddar cheese instead of all Monterey)

2 cans (15 oz. each) white beans (I used 1 can white beans and 1 can light kidney beans)

Directions:

1.  Place all ingredients (cooked chicken, salsa, cheese, beans) in crock pot and stir well to combine.

2. Cook on low for 2-3 hours.  Stir one about half way through the cooking period.

Serve with  tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream (if you wish).  Enjoy!

Happy Chicken Chili Making!

The Fastest (and YUMMIEST) Chicken Parmesan

One of my most favorite meals to eat is Chicken Parmesan.  Yum....I love the combo of chicken, sauce and cheese - and of course all served on a lovely bed of pasta.  Yup, I am now drooling just thinking of this delightful meal.  :-)

Recently I discovered a fabulous recipe for Chicken Parm.  It is not only fabulous in taste, flavor and yumminess but also in the amount of time it takes to make it.  Hands on time is literally minutes...and not a lot of minutes at that!  And then you just walk away and let the magic of the crock pot do it's work.  Within a couple hours your house is filled with the aroma of comfort and deliciousness that comes from your crock pot. 

Honestly, I don't always have good luck with crockpot recipes.  Either the dish turns out too dry, too soggy or just tastes terrible over all.  Well, believe me this crockpot recipe that I am about to share with you is GREAT!  It was a HUGE success and I seriously encourage you to put aside 5 minutes and make it.

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan

(recipe from A Year of SlowCooking)

Ingredients:

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs (or you can use Italian seasoned bread crumbs and then don't add the Italian seasoning below)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 egg, beaten

sliced mozzarella cheese (4-6 slices depending on how much you choose to use)

1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Directions:

1.  Drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil over the bottom of crockpot stoneware.

2. Beat egg and place in a medium bowl.  In a second medium bowl mix the bread crumbs, spices, and grated parmesan cheese all together.

3. Dip chicken in beaten egg and then toss into bread crumb mixture to coat completely on both sides.  Place chicken breasts on the bottom of crockpot.

4. Place a layer of mozzarella slices on top of breaded chicken breasts.  Cover cheese layered chicken with jar of sauce.

5. Place lid of crockpot securely on and turn heat onto LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.  Walk away and let the crockpot do its magic.

Serve over cooked pasta of your choice.  D'lish!

Happy Chicken Parmesan Making (in your crockpot)!

A Week Night Meal - Chicken with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce

I always enjoy finding a recipe that makes a quick and delicious meal for the middle of the week.  Something that doesn't take hours to make and without a lot of steps and a variety of simple ingredients.  Simple and yummy is the key here!  With that in mind I now present you with the first installment of "Week Night Meal".  It is my hope that at least once a week I will be able to share a quick yet tasty meal recipe that can be made in no more than an hour and served with happiness on your part.

No better way than to kick off this new category from Baking and Creating with Avril with a lovely chicken dish that is full of flavor, healthy and quick to make.

If YOU have a favorite "Week Night Meal" please do share with the link at the end of the post.   Be kind and link back to my blog along with leaving a direct link to your recipe.

Chicken with Balsamic Mushroom

Sauce

(recipe adapted from Home Sweet Farm)

Ingredients: 

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

*2 Tbsp flour

*1/4 tsp salt

*2 tsp oil

*8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

*1/2 cup finely diced red onion

*1 cup chicken broth

*2 chopped or sliced cloves of garlic

*2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

*1/2 tsp thyme

*2 Tbsp butter

*FRESH parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

*cooked rice or pasta

Directions

1. Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness.  I like to put my chicken breasts in a galloon plastic baggie and bang them with a rolling pin - use the technique you like best to pound your chicken down.

2. Place flour and salt in a large baggie.  Add in chicken and toss to coat.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat .  Add coated chicken.....

  Cook, turning once, until golden brown and meat is no longer pink in center - about 6 minutes on either side.  Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.

4. To the same pan/pot that chicken was cooked in add mushrooms, diced onion and garlic.....

Saute for 4 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove veggies to a bowl.

5. Put broth, balsamic vinegar and thyme in pan/pot.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat - simmer for 4 minutes to thicken slightly and blend the flavors together....

 Add mushroom mixture to liquid.  Stir in butter until melted. (I have double the original recipe for the sauce ingredients as I thought the sauce was so yummy that it deserved to be doubled).

6. Return cooked chicken to pan/pot and gently stir to cover with sauce and mushrooms....

  Cook just enough to heat chicken through.  Serve over rice or pasta with parmesan cheese.  YUM-O!

Happy Chicken with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce Cooking!

This post has been linked to ....

Quit Eating Out - Saturday Swap of Recipes

Crunchy Buttermilk Baked Chicken

It is always fun for me to discover a new chicken recipe.  Especially when the recipe is a success!!!  I've been eyeing Buttermilk Baked Chicken lately.  I finally found an easy/do-able recipe that is super yummy.  I discovered it in a lovely magazine called, Cook's Country.  What a gem of a magazine!  I'm splurging and subscribing to it ASAP. :-)

Crunchy Buttermilk Baked Chicken

(recipe from Cook's Country magazine)

Ingredients:

2 cups buttermilk - I used 2% milk with a Tbsp of lemon juice added to it (I didn't have any buttermilk on hand)

1/4 cup sour cream

1 (1oz.) envelope Ranch Dressing seasoning mix

1 Tbsp salt

2-3 lbs bone in chicken pieces, skin and excess fat removed

4-5 slices of hearty white sandwich bread

Directions:

1. Place oven racks to the lowest and middle positions. Heat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Make the brine by whisking together buttermilk, sour cream and 2 Tbsp Ranch Dressing mix and salt in a large bowl....

3. Add in chicken and toss to coat....

.....refrigerate, covered for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

4. Make the coating for the chicken.  Place broken up bread slices and remaining Ranch Dressing mix in a bowl of a food processor....

....Pulse off and on until bread has been finely ground.

5. Bake bread crumb mixture on a rimmed baking sheet......

.....in the middle rack of the oven, stirring occasionally, until golden brown - about 5 minutes....be careful not to let the bread crumbs burn!

Place bread crumbs in a shallow bowl.

6. Line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.  Remove chicken in brine from refrigerator and dredge chicken pieces in bread crumbs...

...then place on prepared baking sheet...

....Spray chicken lightly with cooking spray - this holds the crumbs together and allows a yummy crunch-ness to the chicken.

7. Bake on lowest rack in oven until bottom of chicken is golden brown - about 10 minutes.  Then move chicken to middle baking rack and reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F.   Bake until chicken is golden brown all over and "white meat" registers 160 degrees on a meat thermometer ("dark meat" at 175 degrees) - this takes about 20-25 minutes.

Serve with happiness!  I served mine with mashed mashed potatoes, gravy (sinful!) and green beans.

Happy Crunchy Buttermilk Baked Chicken Baking!

Crescent Chicken Packages

Ok, so are you ready for something new, EASY and (of course) delicious for dinner?  Something that even your kiddos will like?  Yup, that's what I thought! Of course you do!  Well, I have just the thing for you....Crescent Chicken Packages.  Yummy!!!! 

This is a meal oh-so-gently wrapped in a Crescent roll (reduced-fat Crescent rolls at that) that produces lots of happy tummies.  The filling is a delicious chicken, cheese and a couple diced onions mixture that is all combined together in one happy melting exsistence (ok, so I'm getting a little carried away....but seriously this little recipe is gauranteed to give you an easy, happy, yummy meal).

Crescent Chicken Packages

(recipe has been adapted from The Tasty Kitchen site )

Ingredients:

2 whole chicken breasts - cooked and cut into cubes

1 can (8 oz) Crescent Rolls - I used reduced-fat Crescent Rolls

1 cup shredded Colby Monterey Jack Cheese

3 oz Cream Cheese - I used Trader Joe's Onion Chive cream cheese.  Reduced fat cream cheese could easily be used here too.

1/4 cup Diced White Onion

2 tbsp Milk

2 tbsp butter - recipe called for 3 I used 2 with plenty left over

1/4 tsp Seasoned Salt

Pepper to taste

Paprika

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cook the chicken, either by baking, grilling or boiling it.  Cut into cubes.  I discovered Tyson FULLY COOKED Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast at my local Target recently - this chicken is perfect for this recipe! - plus is takes away 1 step in that you don't have to cook the chicken before adding it to the recipe.

3.Combine the cream cheese, diced onion, milk, 1 tablespoon of butter and seasoned salt....

....and mix well all together.....

4. Add the chicken and shredded cheese.....

....mix well until chicken is well coated. Add pepper to taste...

.... then I divided the mixture into 4 sections so that I could easily see how much was going into each Crescent package....

5. Take out your Crescent Rolls and divide into 4 sections on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Gently pinch together the perferarated sections so that 2 "rolls" become one.  

6. Fill each square with the chicken-cheese mixture.....

.....fold over each corner of the Crescent roll on top of the chicken-cheese mixture....

8. Melt remaining butter and brush all over the "package".  Sprinkle with Paprika if you'd like.

9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Mmmmmmm mmmmm gooood!

Happy Crescent Chicken Package Baking!

This recipe has been shared on...

http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2010/05/coconut-pecan-pie-for-potluck-sunday.html

Mexican Quickie Chicken

Yes, that's right! - this recipe is QUICK and it involves a "mexican" flare.  I saw a recipe similar to this out in "blog land" but was then not able to re-locate it to give the proper name and even link to the owner.  So if any of you reading this post and know who the recipe belongs to please do share. :-) 

*Since posting this recipe I have had the luck of being reminded where I originally 

saw this dish similar to how I've made this recipe - 

Betty Cupcakes posted it on her adorable and yummy blog!  Be sure to check her out!

Mexican Quickie Chicken

(this recipe has been adapted from Betty Cupcakes)

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1tbsp olive oil

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper (if you wish)

1 cup salsa (store or homemade)

1 cup grated mexican cheese blend (more if you wish)

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.*

1. Drizzle olive oil over bottom of baking dish of your choice (I used a glass 9x9 dish).  Place chicken in dish and roll around in olive oil to coat on all sides.

2. Sprinkle with garlic salt (and ground pepper if you wish).  Then cover chicken with salsa and then grated cheese.

3. Cover with tin foil.

4. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until juices of chicken run clear.  Remove tin foil and serve.

I served this chicken dish with rice pilaf....egg noddles or just a side of veggies would be yummy too.

Enjoy!!!

Happy Mexican Quickie Chicken Baking,

~avril :-)

This post has been linked to...

Between Naps on the Porch

Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce

Sunday night I was craving a dish with chicken and mushrooms - don't ask me why.....that's just what I wanted.  So, I made my way over to one of my favorite places to find a recipe - Tasty Kitchen.  If you have yet to discover this site don't delay any longer and take time out of your day to do so.   TK is fabulous!- it is jam packed with a HUGE aray of recipes.  It's HEAVEN for me.

After searching for just a matter of minutes I came across this recipe that I am about to share with you below.  It comes from an adorable member of TK named "Siggy Spice" - and guess what!? - she has an adorable or so scrumptious blog too!!!!  Check her out....go ahead I dare ya!

Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce

(discovered on Siggy Spice's blog)

Ingredients:

Egg noodles (I used about 1/2 of a large bag)

2 tbsp flour, divided

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cut into 1" pieces

1 (8oz) package mushrooms, sliced

1/2 tsp dried tarragon, basil or parsley (I used parsley because that's what I had on hand)

1 tbsp minced garlic - fresh or from a jar (I used 2 cloves fresh garlic)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

grated parmesan cheese - for topping 

Directions:

1. In a medium size bowl combine 1 tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper - stir to combine.  Toss in chicken to coat.

2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and saute for a good 4 minutes or until browned.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

3. With the same pan from the chicken add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Add mushrooms and spice of choice.  Saute for 2 minutes, then add garlic and saute for an additional minute or so until any liquid evaporates and the mushrooms darken.  Be sure NOT to burn the garlic.

4. Add wine to the pan; cook for 1 minute - scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

5. Add remaining flour - stir constantly.  Add in remaining salt and pepper and then chicken broth.  Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened - which happens fast so stir frequently.

6. Return chicken to pan.  Cover and simmer for 2 minutes.  Uncover; cook for 1 minute or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.  

7. Cook egg noodles according to package directions and add to hot chicken/mushroom mixture.  Cook all together for a couple minutes to thoroughly combine the yumminess of the sauce from the chicken/mushroom mixture.

8. Serve topped with cheese.

Feeds about 4 healthy servings.

Yummy YUM yum!

***And one of the best parts of this scrumptious dish is that it is low in calories - only 350 calories per serving

Happy Chicken and Mushrooms with White Wine Sauce Cooking!

~avril :-)