Things to do with Frozen Chicken: Buffalo It

Frozen chicken breasts kind of ick me out. But, did you know that if you stumble upon a crockpot recipe that calls for chicken breasts, you can use frozen ones? Benefits: you can keep them on hand for a long time and they are often cheaper than fresh. I'm sure many of you have had buffalo chicken dip (a new tailgating craze dish). This is similar. But a meal, not a dip.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (frozen or fresh)
1 jar Frank's Red Hot sauce (the recipe I am adapting from said to buy a 17 oz jar...no such thing at my grocery store...I bought a 24 ouncer...)
1 packet dry ranch dressing

Toppings/Additions:
Shredded lettuce or romaine lettuce to make cups, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, blue cheese crumbles, corn, black beans, chopped celery...the possibilities are endless.

Directions:
Throw chicken, about half of the jar of hot sauce, and the ranch packet in the Crock-Pot and let it do it's thing for 6ish hours. Then shred the chicken with 2 forks, give it a taste-er-oo, and perhaps add a bit more sauce. I find that chicken soaks up sauces in a slow cooker super well, which sometimes means you need to add more at the end to keep everything scrumptious and moist (I hate that word. Please, someone come up with a synonym that still conveys the same meaning!). If you add more sauce, turn the pot to "warm" and let it sit for a little longer to allow the chicken to soak up Frank's goodness.

Enjoy a scoop of chicken on top of lettuce and topped with whatever your heart desires.

Things to do with a Rotisserie Chicken: Greek

I love Greek food...but I never make it. I'm not sure why, other than that it intimidates me like Asian cuisine does...weird. Anyway, I love Tzatziki sauce (pronounced za-ZEE-kee), so I wanted a rotisserie chicken recipe where I could make some! Don't ya just love a recipe that is focused on how to get some fabulous sauce or condiment into your mouth and the rest of it is of second-hand importance? Listen, if making your own Tzatziki seems like too much, just buy some. Let's be honest, this blog is a place for my idea sharing and a housing for near carb-free recipes. If you leave this post with a "Greek" inspiration for dinner one night, I've done my job...

Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken, removed from bone and sliced or shredded
1 white onion, sliced using your new mandolin that I told you to buy in my "Pimento Cheese and Cucumbers" post

Sauce Ingredients:
3 cups Greek yogurt
1 lemon (just need 3 tbsp of juice)
1 garlic clove
2 medium cucumbers, seeded (which actually means "remove the seeds"...seems backwards to me, but whatever...), and diced (direction below)
Salt (for cucumbers)
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (no, you can't use dried here...sorry)


Directions:
Peel cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise, use a spoon to scrape out the seeds, and chop them up. Put the chopped cucumber in a bowl and sprinkle with salt which will draw out some of the water (an important step so your sauce isn't too watery). Go put a load of laundry in, or paint your nails, and return in 30 minutes to finish the dish. After 30 minutes, dump cucumbers onto a dish or paper towel and pat dry.

In a food processor, blend cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and some pepper. Stir mixture into yogurt, and voila! (If you don't have a food processor, just get a whisk out and whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, dill, and pepper until well combined, and then add cucumbers.)

Serve atop chicken and thinly-sliced white onions. This would go well with some roasted vegetables, perhaps green beans with lemon and almonds...?

Things to do with a Rotisserie Chicken: Italian

I believe I'm addicted to pesto...I find ways to put it in anything that makes sense...try this warm pesto chicken salad. It won't disappoint.

Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken
1 tub store-bought pesto
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained (I like to chop the water chestnuts up as well but you can leave them in slices)
1 jar sliced sundried tomatoes in oil (the dried kind in a bag aren't as tasty)
1 block or ball mozzarella cheese, cut into bite-sized chunks

Directions:
Take sundried tomatoes out of jar and put them on a few paper towels to drain off oil. Pat with another paper towel as well. They don't need to be completely oil-free, but if you remove excess oil, you will end up with a less oily chicken salad...

Remove chicken from bone and shred or chop. Combine chicken, mayo, and pesto in a bowl. Add water chestnuts, sundried tomatoes, and mozzerella.

Serve this with a salad, or to continue the Italian theme, see my "Parmesan Speghetti Squash" post.

Things to do with a Rotisserie Chicken: Mexican

With the school year starting back up, things have been super busy for me at home. Rotisserie chickens from the store have provided me a much needed time-saver for weeknight dinners. I have a few recipes to share. Leave me a comment if you are wanting a recipe in another genre, and I'll experiment!

Mexican: Chicken Tinga
*This recipe comes from my mom, I know right?! She doesn't love to cook, which I've mentioned before, but the few dishes she does make, she makes well :) I believe she first tried Chicken Tinga when a lady brought it to work...(right mom?)

Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken
1 yellow onion, sliced or chopped (depending on whether you like the taste of onions, or more of an essence)
1 clove garlic
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 lb can crushed tomatoes
1 (7oz) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (look in the Mexican section at store); you will use 1-2 peppers and the juices; pre-chop your peppers
1 small can (4oz I believe) tomato sauce (Mom likes the roasted garlic one...)
1 tbsp chicken bouillon granules
   *Ok, it is important that you buy the granules...and you can't find them everywhere. Look in the spice section of your grocery store. The bouillon cubes like you're used to won't work...tried them the first time and major fail. The granules look like yellowish powder, not wrapped in foil...

Toppings/additions you like: shredded lettuce, sour cream, black beans, shredded cheese, avocado, etc. (if you eat things like tortillas, this can be served on a tostada or in a tortilla, but it's great without!)

Direction:
Take meat off chicken and shred it up with your fingers or a fork. Heat oil on medium. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are transparent. Add crushed tomatoes,  chopped peppers, sauce from can of peppers, tomato sauce, chicken bouillon granules, and shredded chicken. Heat until mixture thickens.

**Note: My original recipe says to put the crushed tomatoes, peppers, sauce, tomato sauce and bouillon in a blender or food processor and process until smooth, but I don't really see a need for that step. Just makes sure you give your mixture enough heat time so everything cooks together, and you'll be fine!

Serve Tinga atop shredded lettuce and top with your fixin's. M-m-m-m.

Herb-Roasted Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp minced fresh tarragon
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat oven to 325°F. Mix all herbs together in a bowl. Place chicken in a baking dish with 1 Tbsp olive oil, the herb mixture, and 1 cup chicken stock. Roast about 15 minutes. Serve with the herb sauce.

Pesto Chicken Caprese

Now that I have started this blog, I have gotten lots of emails suggesting new recipes! How exciting! I have not made this recipe yet, but I'll be fixing it tonight. Ill update the post tomorrow if I have any edits or thoughts. I have included several modifications, so skip over what you don't need.

Ingredients:
1 lb of thin chicken cutlets (if you can't find these, or if you already have chicken breasts at home you want to use, see below for a note)
1 container pesto (or, if you're feeling fancy, see below for a homemade pesto recipe)
2 tomatoes (I HATE tomatoes, so I can't be very helpful regarding what kind to buy...buy whatever vatiety you like) OR 1 jar roasted red bell peppers
1 ball fresh mozzerella (found near deli in the fancy cheese section at most grocery stores)

Directions:
For homemade pesto: In a blender or food processor, purée 2 cups fresh basil, 1 garlic clove, a pinch of salt, 2 Tbsp pine nuts, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, and 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil.

If working with chicken breasts rather than cutlets: Put 1 chicken breast in a large plastic baggie. Remove the air from the bag and seal it. Use a mallot, heavy pan, or other heavy, flat object, to pound out the chicken into a thin cutlet. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season 1 pound of thin chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Grill for about 4 minutes per side. If you'd rather not fire up the grill, saute the chicken in a preheated pan with a little swirl of olive oil, on medium-high heat, following the same time instructions.

Top each cutlet with a scoop of pesto as a slice (or two) of the fresh mozzerella. Put the pan in the oven for a few minutes to heat the pesto and slightly melt the cheese. Remove from the oven, transfer to a plate, and top with a slice of tomato or a roasted red bell pepper.

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz.) can tomato sauce
2-3 chipotle chiles in adobo, finely minced
1/4 c. cider vinegar
3 TBSP honey
1 TBSP plus 2 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
2 TBSP tomato paste
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp. dry mustard
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp. salt
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breasts, trimmed of fat (I used 1 1/2 lbs. of each)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
1. Stir tomato sauce, chiles, vinegar, honey, paprika, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chili powder and salt in a 6-quart slow cooker until smooth. Add chicken, onion and garlic; stir to combine.

2. Put the lid on and cook on low until the chicken can be pulled apart, about 5-6 hours.

3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with a fork. Return the chicken to the sauce, stir well and serve. Serves 8-10.

 

From http://kelseysappleaday.blogspot.com via Pinterest.

 

Transform for Later in the Week:

BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

 

Ingredients:

Lettuce (whichever kind you like)-for this, I either buy shredded lettuce or cut it super thin into ribbons because I think it workes better in smaller pieces with the other ingredients

 

Toppings: black beans, corn, jalapeno, shredded cheddar cheese, jicama, avocado, ranch dressing

 

Pile some lettuce up with your leftover pulled chicken and whatever toppings you like. Enjoy! 

Pecan Honey Mustard Chicken

This is a great weeknight recipe. My friend Whitney originally introduced me to a similar dish when I went over to her house for dinner. She used fancy mustard. Feel free to play around with that component.

Ingredients:
**I really can't give exact amounts for these ingredients because it is very adaptable according to how many people you plan on serving***
Chicken breasts (enough for 1 for each person eating)
Honey Dijon Mustard
Pecan (finely chopped-I pulse them in a food processor until they are almost like breadcrumbs, but you can easily coat the chicken in larger pieces-you'll just need more of them)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Get your assembly line ready so you don't get ewwy chicken stuff on all of your ingredient bottles, etc.

Assembly line: Open package of chicken breasts; 2 plates, one with several tablespoons of the honey mustard, one with pecans; prepared cookie sheet.

Pick up a chicken breast, coat on both sides with mustard, coat on both sides with pecans (your hands will get very mustardy and pecany), put chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat for all of your other chicken breasts.

Bake chicken for about 30 minutes, or until no longer pink in center.


***Great with roasted vegetables, an artichoke, or a salad.

Roast Chicken with Lemon and Green Beans

I adapted this recipe I found on Pinterest from Real Simple Magazine. The original recipe included potatoes, but since I'm not eating those, I edited them out.

 Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound trimmed green beans
4 chicken breasts (bones left in, with skin, about 3 1/4 pounds)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices.  Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.
3. Roast for 50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender. Place a chicken breast on each of 4 serving plates; divide the green beans and potatoes equally. Serve warm.

Crockpot Love

On Sundays, I often cook up a huge batch of Crockpot goodness with the intention of transforming the recipe into other dinners at least one other night during the week. Bam! Two meals with one pot. For those who don't use a Crockpot often, here are some notes that I wish someone would have told me:

-The cook time really doesn't matter...Put your pot together in the morning, turn it on low, and go on with the rest of your day. Check on it whenever you're ready to eat, and it will be delicious.

-Measurements really don't matter...feel free to manipulate ingredients according to your taste


Chicken Fajitas

1 bag frozen chicken breasts (usually comes in a pack of 4-6) (fresh works also, it's just easier for me to buy/throw in the pot frozen)

2 packets of your favorite fajita seasoning (I buy McCormick)

1 yellow onion

2 bell peppers (whatever color you like-I use 1 red, 1 yellow)

Favorite fajita toppings (I usually use some combination or sour cream, cheese, guacamole, lettuce)

Directions:
Cut the onion and peppers into slices or wedges. Throw all of the above into the crockpot on high 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8.

When you're ready to eat, pile up a huge helping of the fajita meet and veggies. Hold the taco shell. Instead, add more toppings, especailly the lettuce. Store the leftovers in an airtight container so you can transform them into recipe #2 (below).



Chicken Fajitas Transformed-Chicken (Hold the Tortilla) Soup

Leftovers from Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

2-3 cloves garlic, minced (can use the preminced stuff from a jar)

1 white or yellow onion, chopped

1 can of diced tomatoes (or you can use Rotel with the green chilis)

1 can of corn drained (can also use frozen corn)

Chicken broth or stock (The quantity depends on how much leftovers you have, and on how much soup you want to make. I would go ahead and buy 2 of those cardboard containers because it keeps well in the fridge in case you don't use it all)

1 avocado (for topping)

Direction:
Saute the onion and garlic in the bottom of your soup pan with a little butter or extra virgin olive oil, and some salt and pepper, until transparent. Add all of the other ingredients to the pot, and add enough chicken broth to cover all of the contentc. Let it do it's thing for a while. You are essentially just heating up the rest of the ingredients, so bring the soup to a boil, then let it simmer for a while until you're ready to eat. Taste your soup before you serve it. We don't like/use a lot of salt, so I usually don't add much extra seasoning. If you find that your soup needs a little something, consider these options:
-seasoned salt
-hot sauce
-garlic or onion salt


Enjoy!

Roast Chicken-Ina Garten

Ingredients 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil

Directions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.