Monthly Archives: April 2013

Sauteed Garlic Asparagus

Sauteed Garlic Asparagus

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This recipe was a first for me, in many ways. Not only was it a new recipe, but it was also my first time ever having made asparagus and my first time ever eating asparagus.  So I didn’t really know what to expect. I’ve always thought I would hate asparagus. Maybe just because it’s ugly. But it was really pretty good, and I didn’t hate it!

Sauteed Garlic Asparagus

The recipe:

  • 3 tablespoons butter or margarine

  • 1 bunch fresh asparagus

  • 3 cloves garlic,minced

  • a splash of white wine

 

Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender. If you like your asparagus well done, reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes. Add a splash of white wine in the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Slow cooker whole chicken

Crockpot Whole Chicken

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I made this recipe for dinner, along with sauteed garlic asparagus and mashed potatoes and gravy. I made the mashed potatoes and gravy from scratch and used the juices from the chicken for the gravy. Yum.  The chicken was super easy to make.  I was a little concerned that the recipe said to not add any liquid, but it made it’s own within the first two hours or so and nothing burned, so, hooray!

Slow cooker whole chicken

Crockpot whole chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy

The Recipe:

  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 onion
  • 1 large chicken

 

Combine the dried spices in a small bowl.  Loosely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Remove any giblets from the chicken and then rub the spice mixture all over. You can even put some of the spices inside the cavity and under the skin covering the breasts.  Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn it on to high. There is no need to add any liquid.  Cook for 4 – 5 hours on high (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

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This recipe has been in my book for a long time now, and I’ve made it several times.  We love having this and it’s really easy to throw together.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

The Recipe:

  • 1 lb. chicken, cubed
  • 3 cups frozen broccoli florets
  • 1 cup uncooked macaroni noodles
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine chicken, broccoli, noodles and cheese.  Mix in the soup, broth, garlic powder and pepper. Pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish.  Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Stir and bake for another 30 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked and macaroni is tender. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Garlic Lemon Stuffed Chicken Breasts Recipe

Garlic Lemon Stuffed Chicken Breasts

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I made this recipe for dinner last week. I wasn’t expecting too much, since my stuffed chicken recipes don’t usually turn out how I want them to.  But this was really good.  I was pretty surprised that most of the stuff didn’t leak out during cooking too.  This recipes earned itself a post and is eligible for being made again some time. :)

Garlic Lemon Stuffed Chicken Breasts Recipe

The Recipe:

  • oil, for greasing pan
  • 8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into 1/2 inch slices
  • 1 (8 ounce) package Cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch slices
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a large, shallow baking dish with oil.  Butterfly each breast by slicing in half horizontally through the center, cutting almost but not completely through. Place one slice each of Cheddar and cream cheese in the center of each breast. Close again as if placing between the pages of a book. Set aside.  Pour milk into a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs and Romano cheese. Carefully dip each breast first in milk, then in breadcrumb mixture, patting lightly to firmly coat. Place breasts side by side in a single layer in pre-oiled baking dish, tucking edges under to seal.  Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in lemon juice and garlic, and drizzle evenly over chicken. Season breasts with garlic salt and paprika.

Chicken Bombs

Jalapeno Chicken Bombs

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This recipe has shown up in my Facebook feed a few times now, and it looked pretty good so I thought I might as well give it a try. They weren’t too bad, but I would have liked them more if they didn’t remind me of those stuffed chicken grillers we used to get from Dillon’s all the time. I burnt myself out on those pretty bad. I usually hate recipes with baked bacon because it never seems to actually cook, but I just left it in on broil until it was crispy.

Chicken Bombs

The Recipe:

  • 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 5 jalapenos, sliced in half lengthwise and cleaned
  • 20 slices bacon (I used one 16oz package and only one slice per bomb instead of two)
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup colby jack or cheddar cheese, shredded
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce (I used Kansas Cabin’s Wasabi BBQ sauce. A friend of mine makes this locally and it’s so good. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should)

Slice chicken breasts in half (like a hamburger bun), place between wax paper and pound until it’s 1/4″ thick.
Season with salt and pepper.
Mix the two cheeses together and smear about 1 Tbsp into each pepper half.  Place the pepper on the chicken breast and wrap it up as best you can. (I suggest placing the pepper cheese side down so it gets completely covered by the chicken.)
Wrap each chicken breast completely with two pieces of bacon. Start at one end, wrap half the breast and finish the second half with the other piece of bacon.(I only used one slice each)
Bake at 400 degrees for the first 20 minutes, turning once to help cook the bacon. (I switched to a new pan at this point because it was so full of bacon grease) Baste with BBQ sauce and continue baking for about 10-15 minutes. (I turned mine of broil for a while to get the bakon crispy. But watch it close so it doesn’t burn I also basted the chicken a few more times)

You can also cook on a preheated 350 degree grill over indirect heat for 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Turn every 5 minutes and baste with BBQ sauce each time you turn it.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

Chicken Vegetable Soup

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I found this recipe in a magazine last week and it looked pretty good so I thought we would try it out.  Just like I thought it would be, it was good. We also liked it with a little bit of Sriracha sauce, but we put that stuff on everything. It was equally good without it too though.  I put in a little more vegetables than it calls for as well.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

The Recipe:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 4 cups orange-carrot juice (I used R.W. Knudsen Orange-Carrot juice from the organic section in Dillon’s)
  • 1 (14 1/2 oz) can chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 4 oz dried noodles(2 cups) ( I used mini bow ties)
  • 2 cups chredded cooked chicken
  • 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

 

In a 4-5 quart Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic; cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Add curry powder and cook 1 minute.  Carefully stir in orange-carrot juice, chicken broth, water, and salt; add carrots and celery.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes.  Add noodles, cook 6 minutes, stirring ocassionally.  Add chicken and sugar snap peas; heat through.  Stir in parsely and crushed red pepper.