Chicken Soup with Brown and Wild Rice

As with most of my cooking, this soup doesn't have an exact recipe. My first attempt at making something similar was off of a recipe found on 365crockpot if you want to google it. That being said, this is my favorite soup to make at home and all of my kids eat it.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups of chicken broth

2 cups of water

2 chicken breasts cooked and chunked (if I remember correctly, the original recipe you put them in raw and let them cook, but I didn't like that so I precook mine)

1 box of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice

1/2-1 cup of brown rice (This isn't in the original recipe, but I like more rice in it as well as a more thicker versus runny soup. I normally just grab a couple of handfuls of rice and plop it in. A white rice could also be used as well as using Costco's wild rice mix)

1 cup of diced carrots or shredded if preferred

1 cup of diced celery

1/4 cup of flour

1/4 cup of butter

1 cup of half and half (fat-free does work in this)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the broth, water, carrots, celery, chicken, rice and box of Rice-a-Roni with seasoning packet in a large crockpot or pot for stove. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. If you put your chicken in raw take it out and cube or shred it and put it back in.

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour (and I normally do a dash of pepper) by tablespoon to make a roux. Whisk in the half and half a little at a time until fully mixed and smooth. Stir cream mixture into soup and cook on low for 15 more minutes. (The original recipe had the amounts of the cream mixture at least doubled. I don't know if it is having added more rice or not, but for me, it is way too much and steals from the flavors and makes it a bit bland and too thick. The way I fixed that problem was to add chicken bouillon granules and water) Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy the comfort food!

This makes enough to feed 4 adults and 6 kids ;)

Homemade Hot Pockets

Here's something I've been having fun with lately. Make your dough and then get creative with the fillings.

1 package yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups flour, more as needed

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar. Let it set for a few minutes until foamy.

Stir in oil, salt, and flour. Knead 5 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes.

Divide dough into serving size pieces. (I make about 8) Roll and pat each piece into a circle (about 6-inches across or so). Top half of each circle with filling of choice, keeping back from edges so it will seal well. Fold the other 1/2 of circle over the filling and pinch sides together or seal with a fork.

Poke a couple steam vents and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

So far I have filled mine with...

Spaghetti sauce, Mozzarella and Pepperoni

Cream of chicken soup, broccoli, leftover chicken cut into bite size pieces

Leftover beef gravy, onion, peppers, leftover roast beef cut into bite size pieces

Sometime soon I'd like to try a breakfast variety. Maybe cheese sauce, ham and scrambled egg?

So far they've all turned out pretty good. I have learned to put a bit more sauce in them than you think you'll need. Otherwise they may turn out kinda dry. I hear they freeze well, but have never tried it myself. Have fun!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

Made these the other night and thought that, though you don't really need a recipe, it might just spark something on a night when you're stuck and don't know what to make.

1 pound of cooked chicken (though I used a Costco can of chicken)

1/2 package of bacon cooked to crispy

package of tortillas

1-2 cups of shredded cheese

2 tablespoons of ranch

Take a tortilla and put a layer of chicken on it. Crumble a strip of bacon over the chicken. Drip some ranch over it and put a layer of cheese. Top with another tortilla and either bake in oven, put in a skillet on the stove or on a greased grill rack.

Serve with lettuce, tomatoe, guacamole and salsa. Enjoy!

Other things I think are good with this...black beans and corn

Crock-Pot Chicken with Black Beans

I saw this on a blog this evening and thought it looked simple and yummy. Think I'll try it this week.

Ingredients:

4-5 boneless chicken breasts
1 (15 1/2 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
1 (15 oz) jar salsa, any kind
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese

Direction:

Take 4-5 FROZEN boneless chicken breasts and put into crock pot. Add black beans, salsa and corn.

Keep in crock pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked. (My crockpot is always super hot, so I actually just put it on “Keep Warm” and leave the chicken in for 6-7 hours)

Add package of cream cheese (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 hour.

Cashew Chicken

Courtesy of the lovely Brenda Milton

Marinate Chicken at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
2 Chicken breasts - cut into bite size pieces
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/3c water
Mix the above ingredients, pour over chicken and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Served with rice - begin cooking rice while preparing

2 Tbsp Olive or Vegetable oil
2 tsp salt
2 inches of ginger root - peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp dry white wine or cooking sherry
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 medium onion - chopped
1-2c carrots - chopped
1-2c celery - chopped
Handful of snow peas
1 can water chestnuts - sliced
1 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4c chicken broth or water
3 green onions - sliced
1/2c cashews
1c chow mein noodles - crispy

Put oil, salt and ginger root in a hot skillet or wok. Cook 2 minutes and remove ginger root. Drain chicken and add to skillet. Brown chicken, add sherry/wine, soy sauce and onion/ Stir fry 1 minute, add carrots and stir fry 1 minute, add celery and stir fry 1 minute, add snow peas and stir fry 1 minute, add 1/4c broth or water, cover, turn heat down and simmer for 2 minutes. Add water chestnuts and then thicken with cornstarch and remaining broth or water. Put on a platter and top with green onions and cashews. Serve with rice and crispy chow mein noodles.

Serves 4

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

We had this for dinner tonight and it was a big hit at our house. Really quick to throw together too.

2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced (I used 1/2 of 1)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth (I used 4)
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent.

Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn.

Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty, or let it set at room temperature for until soft. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well.

Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Tortilla Chicken Chili

1 tbs oil
1 lb chicken breast cut into 1/2 in cubes
1 pkg Chili Seasoning Mix
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can kidney, white or pinto beans, undrained
 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 c water
1 1/2 c broken tortilla chips

Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 3-5 min or until chicken is no longer pink.

Stir in seasoning mix and remaining ingredients. bring to boil; cover. Reduce heat and simmer 10 min, stirring occasionally. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream or chopped cilantro if desired.

Chicken Tetrazzini

3 cups of cooked chicken cubed
6 cups of cooked spaghetti noodles
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon balck pepper
3 cups condensed mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons fresh parsley
4 ounces of pimentos

Put all ingrediants into a 9x13 pan
Bake at 350 degrees 25-35 minutes

Orange Chicken

1/2 can of orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup of soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup of water
4 chicken breasts

Place all ingrediants into a pan or bag and marinate 2-3 hours

Remove chicken and grill or bake thoroughly. In a small saucepan bring marinade to a boil and boil 3 mintues.

Teriyaki Chicken

Pineapple juice from one big can (can add the pineapple too)
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
4 chicken breasts

Put all into a bag or shallow pan and marinate at least 2-3 hours.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza Bites

I want to start by saying these are REALLY good. However, they are kind of a pain in the bahookie to put together. In the future I will probably just use this recipe to make a regular pizza instead of bites with ranch sauce for dipping. If I was to do them for a party for appetizers or something I think I'd do them in little muffin tins since cooking them side by side sometimes you break them while pulling them apart.

I got this recipe from Our Best Bites I have another recipe from their website planned for this week. I'll let you know how that goes.

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough* (or make your own)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted buttersharp cheddar cheese (I used 50% sharp cheddar and 50% mozzarella)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
about 1 C shredded, cooked chicken.
3/4 C mayo
3/4 C milk

First take 1 teaspoon of your ranch dressing mix and combine it with 1 1/2 T parmesan cheese. Set aside. Combine the remaining ranch mix with 3/4 C mayo and 3/4 C milk and place in the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400-425 degrees.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.
When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings.

I grab the four corners first and then squeeze the seams shut. Then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish). Brush with melted butte

r or olive oil and sprinkle with themparmesan-ranch mixture.

Place your rolls in the oven. I've noticed baking time really depends on the type of dough I'm using. Whether it's different brands from the store, or homemade dough, they all take different amounts of time. Set your timer for 10 minutes and check on them after that. They may take up to 15 or 20 to be done. Take them out when they're lightly golden on top.
Serve them warm with a side of freshly made ranch dressing for dipping.

BTW: I cooked these in a 9x13 pan. They definitely would not all have fit in a pie pan

Grilled Honey Lime Chicken

This is from "Don't Panic Dinner's in the Freezer" .
I thought we'd do this on the next freezer cooking night.

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 hoeny
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp chopped jalapeno pepper

Mix together the lime juice, olive oil, honey cilantro, garlic and jalapeno. Pour marinade over chicken and freeze.
Thaw chicken. Grill over medium heat. Eat!

Baked Pesto Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c. basil pesto
2 plum tomatoes
shredded mozzarella

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover cookie sheet with foil.
Put pesto and chicken in a bowl. Toss until chicken is covered.
Place chicken on cookie sheet and bake 20-25 min.
Place slices of tomato on top and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake another 3-5 min.
Serve with pasta.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Super simple and easy, especially on game nights!
I would love to hear your variations on this.


Place chicken breasts in crockpot and cover in salsa. Cook on high for about 3 hours.
Take chicken out and shred.
Put chicken back in and let it cook for a bit longer to absorb some more taste.
Make tacos as usual!

Chicken Divan

Ingredients

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
2 cooked boneless chicken breast halves, chopped
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Place broccoli in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the chicken.
In a small bowl, blend the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Top with Cheddar cheese.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crock Pot)

A recipe I LOVE from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook." I've edited it a bit for the sake of ease.

Ingredients:
1 -28oz can diced tomatoes, with their juice
1 -10oz can red or green enchilada sauce (I like the red best)
2 medium-size yellow onions chopped (I use about 1/2 of 1 onion)
1 -4oz can chopped green chiles, drained
1 clove garlic minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups water
1 -14.5oz can chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
A few grinds of black pepper
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked, drained and shredded. (I usually cook mine whole in the soup, pull it out and shred it then return to the cooker)
1 -10oz can Mexican corn, drained

Directions:
Combine the tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onions, chiles, garlic, cilantro, water, broth, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and oregano in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Add the shredded chicken and corn, cover and continue to cook on low for another hour. Discard bay leaf. (I usually add the corn at the beginning with the whole chicken breasts and then just shred the chicken at the end.

To serve ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with tortilla strips and grated cheese. Top with tablespoon of sour cream, a few slices of avocado and cilantro sprigs. (We like it with chips, cheese, and sour cream!)

Buffalo Chicken Chili

We had this for dinner tonight and it was SO GOOD! I used the full half cup of hot sauce and even Alex liked it! (Although Seth gave him horseradish the other day and he told Seth it was "yummy for his tummy" so I don't think there's much he wouldn't like.) I didn't do the blue cheese corn chip thing because I don't like blue cheese. We topped it with a bit of grated cheddar and crumbled chips into it. DELISH! Thanks Rachael Ray!

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 tablespoon butter
2 pounds all-white meat ground chicken breast or chicken breast chopped into bite-size pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
5 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 7-ounce bag yellow corn chips
1 7-ounce bag blue corn chips
3/4 pound blue cheese, crumbled, recommended type Maytag Blue
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Preheat oven to 375°F or broiler to medium.

Place a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, and the butter. Once the butter has melted and the pot is hot, add the ground chicken. Brown it, using the back of a wooden spoon to break it up in to small pieces, about 5-6 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 7-8 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the hot sauce, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes, and bring up to a bubble. Simmer for 8-10 minutes to let the flavors come together.

While the chili is simmering, spread the yellow and blue corn chips out on a cookie sheet. Top with the crumbled blue cheese and transfer to the oven to melt the cheese, about 4-5 minutes. If using the broiler, 2-3 minutes should do the trick. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Top each serving of buffalo chicken chili with a few blue cheese-topped corn chips.

An attempt of copycat OG Chicken Scampi

1-1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast pounded
2 sticks of butter
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of parsley
1 teaspoon of basil
1/4 teaspoon of oregano
cloves of garlic (depends on how much you like garlic, at least 2)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 box of angel hair pasta

Brown chicken any way you would like to do it: grill, boil, crockpot, etc. Cool and slice into strips.
Start your pasta.
Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a pan and 1 clove of garlic grated or pressed. Cook until your nostrils are filled with the aroma of garlic and then add the olive oil, parsley, basil, oregano, a bit of salt and pepper and chicken. Cook chicken until done.
Remove chicken.
Add the rest of the butter. Yes, all 1 and 1/2 sticks, just don't think about it. And, the rest of the garlic (grated or pressed) and lemon juice. Cook garlic in the butter for a couple of minutes.
Drain pasta.
Now, you can either put the chicken back into the sauce and then mix it all with the pasta, or put the chicken on the pasta and then drizzle some of the garlic butter sauce over the top and taste before you add more sauce.

Mandarin Chic Salad

My sister made this last Saturday and it's awesome!

3/4 c. sliced almonds
8 oz. penne pasta (cooked)
2 c. cooked cubed chicken
11 oz can mandarin oranges
16 oz can pineapple shredded (save juice)
3/4 c. celery
1/4 c. onion (onion omitted)

dressing:
1 c. mayo
2/3 c. sour cream
4 tbs. pineapple juice
1 tsp. salt

mix all ingredients together and chill for at least 1 hour.

Grilled Lemon Lime Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta

I found the following recipe online at bigoven.com when Kyle and I were looking for a good pre-race meal to have the night before our big day. This is extremely easy and so incredibly good! I think you will like it!


Ingredients
2 each Chicken breasts
4 tablespoon Olive oil
2 each Lime juice of
2 each Lemon juice of
2 cloves Garlic crushed
2 tablespoon Parmesan for garnish
4 servings Angel Hair
1 tablespoon Butter
3 teaspoon Fresh parsley for garnish
1 teaspoon Garlic salt

InstructionsCombine olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, and the skins of the lemon and limes in a ziploc bag. Marinate overnight, or a minimum of four hours.

Prepare hot grill, and bring large pot of water to boil.

Grill chicken 5-6 minutes on each side.

When chicken is four minutes from complete, place angel hair in water, boil for 2-3 minutes until just done, and drain. Drizzle with olive oil, butter, and add garlic salt. Remove chicken from grill, and slice along bias; 1/2 inch pieces. Arrange on bed of angel hair, top with shaved parmesan cheese, and serve immediately