Fiesta Smothered Chicken

Fiesta Smothered Chicken

3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 oz each)
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 tsp chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
6 tsp butter, divided
1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1.  In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder; add the chicken.  Seal bag and turn to coat; set aside.

2.  In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the mushrooms, onion, and jalapeno in 2 tsp butter until tender.  Remove and keep warm.

3.  Drain and discard marinade.  In the same skillet, cook chicken in remaining butter over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.  Spoon vegetable mixture over each chicken breast, sprinkle with cheeses.  Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Makes 2 servings
1 breast, prepared with reduced fat butter and reduced fat cheddar cheese
Cal 314; fat 17; fiber 1

I was kinda disappointed in this recipe.  Don't get me wrong, it was very good, yet it seemed to be missing something.  I had a hard time to get my chicken to cook, so I ended up throwing the lid on the skillet and putting it in the oven.  When the chicken was finally done, I put the sauteed veggies on top and added the cheese, put the lid back on and turned the burner on, long enough to melt the cheese.  Worked out really well.  I had more veggies than chicken, so there was a lot of veggies, but the breasts were fairly large size.

Bombay Chicken

Bombay Chicken

1 1/2 cups (12 oz) plain yogurt
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
4 to 5 pounds bone in chicken thighs and legs, skin removed

1.  In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first 11 ingredients.  Add the chicken; seal bag and turn to coat.  Refrigerate overnight. 

2.  Rub grill rack with oil or coat with cooking spray before starting the grill.  Drain and discard marinade.

3.  Grill chicken, covered, over medium hot heat for 10-15 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 180*.

makes 8 servings; one servings (4 oz cooked dark meat)
Cal 255; fat 13; fiber 1

I was a little leery of this while I was making the marinade.  It is about the color of chili - only a little lighter.  I didn't taste of the marinade because of the oil in it.  But, we dumped in the chicken, squished it all around to get it all nicely coated and plopped it in the fridge. 

It was a little windy, so we had a few issues while we were grilling it, but it could be easily baked.  I would just line the pan with foil, as the chicken wanted to stick to grill. 

I was really surprised at how mildly flavored the chicken turned out.  It was very good, this would make a very, very good base, to make BBQ chicken or something else will as well.  It's a definite keeper!

Crunchy Onion Barbeque Chicken

Crunchy Onion Barbeque Chicken



½ cup barbecue sauce
1 1/3 cups French fried onions, crushed
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz each)

1. Place barbeque sauce in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the onions, cheese and pepper. Dip both sides of chicken in barbecue sauce, then one side in onion mixture.

2. Place chicken, crumb side up, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400* for 22-27 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170*.


Makes 4 servings; 1 breast half
Cal 286; fat 10; fiber trace

 
I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful these turned out to be.  However, I didn't have enough onions, so the last breast was a little sparse on the onions.  I thought it would be enough, but after crushing the small bag I got from Wally World, we were a little short on onions.  The recipe tastes like it should have taken a lot longer to make that it did. 

Parmesan Chicken Fingers

Parmesan Chicken Fingers



1 ¼ cups buttermilk, divided
¾ tsp hot pepper sauce
1 pound chicken tenderloins
5 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
¾ cup seasoned bread crumbs


1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine ½ cup buttermilk and pepper sauce; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. For the dipping sauce, in a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp cheese, mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder and remaining buttermilk until blended. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

3. In another resealable plastic bag, combine bread crumbs and remaining cheese. Drain and discard marinade. Add chicken to crumb mixture; seal bag and shake to coat.

4. Place chicken in a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake at 450* for 15 minutes or until no longer pink. Serve with dipping sauce.

Makes 4 servings


These are really good.  I didn't make the dipping sauce though, my husband opted for ranch, so I don't know how the sauce comes out.  If any of you actually read this and make this and make the sauce, post a comment so those of us with picky husband's can live vicariously through you.  I was a little surprised at the vinegar flavor that you get from the hot pepper sauce.  I used Tabasco, which I think tastes like spicy vinegar.  So if you aren't cracked up about Tabasco, then let the chicken marinate for less time, or use something different.  They were good, in spite of the tabasco. 

Chicken Shrimp Creole

Chicken Shrimp Creole


2 bacon strips
½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bay leaf
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp hot pepper sauce
1 lb. Uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups cooked brown rice


1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 1 tbsp drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside. Saute the chicken, onion, green pepper and celery in drippings for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and pepper sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the shrimp and reserved bacon; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Discard bay leaf. Serve with rice.


Makes 6 servings; 2/3 cup shrimp mixture with ½ cup rice
Cal 272; fat 6; fiber 4

 
 
I was really disappointed in this.  It looked really great, it smelled good, but the final product was BLAND!!!  There was no flavor to this whatsoever, and I didn't even follow the recipe from the beginning.  As I started making this and realized the blandness factor, I started adding and doctoring and seasoning.  I added more garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder and that's just what I remember.  I seasoned the chicken while it was cooking; I added almost double, if not a little closer to triple on the hot pepper sauce.  It had heat, but I'm not sure if that was from the Tabasco, or the cayenne pepper. 
 
The next day, I had leftovers for lunch and had mixed the rice in the night before, I definitely liked what that did to the rice, so I would recommend, cutting your liquid in your rice down, and when you run out of liquid, dump the rice into the pot and let it all simmer and bubble for about 10-15 minutes, then serve it.  It was a lot better that way, and there was a lot less "juice".  I will definitely make it again, but there will be some serious seasoning going on.

Lemon Chicken with Pasta

Lemon Chicken with Pasta

1 1/2 cups uncooked medium pasta shells
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
6 tsp canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup reduced fat chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large resealable bag, combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Add chicken a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.

2.  In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute chicken in 4 tsp oil until juices run clear.  Remove and keep warm.

3.  In the same skillet, cook onion in remaining oil over medium heat until tender.  Sprinkle with flour; stir until blended.  Gradually stir in broth and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

4.  Drain pasta; toss with lemon sauce.  Serve with chicken, sprinkle with cheese.

makes 4 servings

Cal 428; fat 12; fiber 2

I loved this, it was creamy, and lemony and just all around fabulous.  It was something that you would expect to find on a resturant menu.  My husband thought it was a little too lemony, so if you aren't a fan of the tart stuff, I would use a little less than the 1/4 cup of lemon juice called for. 

Chicken Parmesan

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Combine 1/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, basil and cayenne.  Coat chicken breast in flour, dip in egg, and then in bread crumbs.  Brown breast in olive oil, then bake at 375* for 20 minutes.

This recipe was only half copied down when I recieved it.  So I don't know how many chicken breasts exactly this recipe makes.  I usually make anywhere between 4-6 and have leftover breading materials.  I don't brown it in the olive oil, I just throw them in a pan and bake them until the chicken is done.  When I had this (got the recipe from a friend), she had made the spaghetti, placed it in the bottom of the pan, placed the chicken on top, then sprinkled chees all over it, and baked it until the chicken was finished cooking.  She follows recipes better than I do.  It comes out really great, very resturant like taste.

Texas Ranch Chicken Casserole

Texas Ranch Chicken Casserole


1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 tbsp canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups cooked chicken breast
1 can (10 3/4 oz) reduced fat reduced sodium condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 can (10 3/4 oz) reduced fat reduced sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 tbsp chili powder
12 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1 inch strips
2 cups (8 oz) shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, divided

1. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the onion, celery and peppers in oil until crisp tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the chicken, soups, tomatoes and chili powder.

2. Line the bottom of a 3 qt baking dish with half of the tortilla strips; top with half of the chicken mixture and 1 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered, at 350* for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.

Makes 8 - 1 cup servings
Calories 329; fat 12g; saturated fat; 5g; cholesterol; 65mg; sodium 719; carbs 31g; fiber 3; protein 26 g


This is absolutely fabulous. It is kinda like inside out enchiladas. Next time, I am going to cut the tortillas down to 10 and cut them in strips and then in half again, it was a little hard to manage with the larger strips. Plus the ones on the bottom didn't get as soggy and were a little tougher. I substituted extra virgin olive oil instead of canola. I didn't spray the pan, because frankly why do you need it to saute the veggies, that's what the oil is for. I also used leftover rotisserie chicken. Because the chicken was seasoned, I didn't add the chili powder. And I probably never will. This will be one of those recipes that I call a leftover. Since it requires that you use cooked chicken, this will probably be planned in on a week when we have "extra" cooked chicken.

Southwest Chicken Skillet

Southwest Chicken Skillet


12 oz skinless boneless chicken breast
1 tbsp olive oil
1 - 15 oz jar salsa
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup ripe olives - sliced
1 cup brown rice - quick cooking
1/2 cup fat free cheddar cheese – shredded

1. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. In a large skillet cook and stir chicken in hot oil over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in salsa, chicken broth, chopped sweet pepper, and, if desired olives.

2. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and bring to a soft boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Let stand covered 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings


This particular recipe has a unique story and name behind it. The first time I had planned on making this recipe as I was making my grocery list, I put down olives. My husband and I both like black olives, yet unless I am making pizza or a specific recipe I never have them on hand. As we were shopping, we were unable to find the sliced, and figuring that it wouldn't make that much difference, I bought a small can of the chopped olives. If you have never used these, chopped is an understatement. The olives are in very small pieces. That, if you have a husband with an unusual sense of humor they could be mistaken as ..... rat turds. My husband came home from work, and lifted the lid off the pan to see what smelled good, and proceeded to ask me if we were having rat turd casserole for dinner. So consequently my husband asks for Rat Turd Casserole now.

I don't change up anything.  This is what I call a planned-over meal.  I only make it when I have leftover chicken in the fridge.  So sometimes it has a spicy punch, and other times not.  Just depends on what the chicken started out as.  I do suggest that you use whatever type of salsa that you prefer. I typically use medium as my husband and I like it a little spicy.

Fajita Lasagna

Fajita Lasagna


1 bag (1 pound) frozen stir fry bell peppers and onions, thawed
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (29 oz) tomato sauce
1 envelope (1.4 oz) fajita seasoning mix
12 no boil lasagna noodles
3 cups shredded Colby Monterey jack cheese (12 oz)
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
Guacamole, salsa and sour cream if desired

1. Heat oven to 350*. Spray bottom and sides of rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches with cooking spray. Drain thawed bell pepper mixture on several layers of paper towels; set aside.

2. Cook beef in 10 inch skillet over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in tomato sauce and seasoning mix; heat to boiling. Spread 1/2 cup sauce mixture in bottom of baking dish. Arrange 4 noodles crosswise, slightly overlapping, on sauce. Spread 1 1/2 cups sauce over noodles, completely covering noodles. Spread pepper mixture evenly over sauce; sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese.

3. Arrange 4 noodles crosswise, slightly overlapping on top of cheese. Spread about 1 1/2 cups sauce over noodles, completely covering noodles. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese and the olives over sauce. Arrange 4 noodles crosswise, slightly overlapping on olives. Spread remaining sauce over noodles, completely covering noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

4. Spray piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray. Tightly cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down. Bake about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream if desired.

Makes 8 servings


Substitutions - I never have been able to find frozen bell peppers that just has onion and peppers in it. So I always just slice up the fresh stuff. It comes out just fine. I also use ground turkey or leftover chicken, chopped up in smaller than bite size pieces. I have yet to put the olives in it, mostly because we are always making this to enjoy with others who don't like olives.  I was worried about this one the first tried this. But it tastes like fajitas with noodles. Make sure you cover the noodles with sauce, if not where they aren't covered, they are chewy. You can always pre-cook your noodles and cut your sauce down if you prefer. I tried this once, and it's hard to not have too much or not enough sauce. Plus, what do you do with the rest of the mix and tomato sauce?  So just follow the directions and don't pre-cook your noodles.

Country Chicken with Gravy

Country Chicken with Gravy


3/4 cup crushed cornflakes
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp fat free evaporated milk
2 tsp canola oil

Gravy:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup fat free evaporated milk
1/4 cup condensed chicken broth; undiluted
1 tsp sherry or additional chicken broth
2 tbsp snipped chives
1. In a shallow bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Place milk in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in milk, then roll in cornflake mixture.

2. In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, pepper, and salt until smooth. Gradually stir in the milk, broth and sherry or additional broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chives. Serve with chicken.


Makes 4ish servings (not sure how many exactly) Recipe doesn't even tell you how many chicken breasts you need)

Makes 1 chicken breast half with 2 tbsp gravy
Cal 274; fat 8; fiber trace

I'm not much of a "fried" chicken person. I'm not much of a fried person period. I don't much care for gravy either. So I was kinda leary of this one. But I saved the recipe mostly for my husband. First of all, I didn't cook the chicken in the skillet in the oil. Because...it's frying and even though you have the best of intentions you typically end up adding extra oil to keep it from burning and sticking. So...I baked it. No, it is probably not as crispy as it would be if you cooked it in the oil, but it is still crispy enough. The gravy. Oh the gravy. Typically gravy involves ketchup. Mostly to cover up the gravy taste. You could paint this stuff on a rusty bumper, and I would glady lick it all off. If you are being a good little person and watching portions and all that jazz, then the gravy the recipe makes is sufficient. However, if you don't care about calories, then I highly recommend doubling the gravy recipe. As it doesn't make but maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of gravy. I also used Total cereal for the cornflake crumbs. Mostly because it's high fiber, low fat. But you can use whatever you want for good results. Just make sure that they are a breadcrumb like consistensy.