Chicken Bundles

This recipe is from Nicole & my mom, and it's a favorite among all my siblings. I've added my own notes.

Chicken Bundles

Recipe from Karen Abreu

8oz cream cheese (softened)

2 TBS milk

Chopped onion to taste (about 1 to 2 TBS) OR fresh chopped chives

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 chicken breasts cooked and diced

3 cans crescent rolls

IF you want them breaded:

Butter melted  (approx. ½ cube)

Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs

·         Combine cream cheese, milk, onion, salt and pepper in bowl.  Add diced chicken. 

·         Spread out crescent rolls.  Pinch two triangles together, keeping it in rectangle form.  Put spoon of chicken mixture in the middle and roll. Fold ends and pinch together.

·         IF you like them breaded, dip in melted butter and bread crumbs.

·         Bake on cookie sheet @ 325 for 12 minutes.  (I baked mine for aprox. 22  minutes or until golden brown. You don’t want them doughy.)

·         Makes 12 bundles.

Make your own favorite style of chicken gravy. One included below. I like things easy, so I buy the chicken gravy packets where you just add water. 

Gravy:

2 cups chicken broth

¼ cup butter

¼ cup flour

1/8 tsp salt  1/8 tsp butter

¼ cup milk

Cook until thick then add parsley  (a couple tsp)

*Heat, DON’T BOIL

BBQ chicken salad

I was really excited to try this recipe. It is a perfect summer salad and so easy to put together. The best part is that I had everything on hand already. Just a warning, if you follow this recipe exactly it makes a lot... not that that is a bad thing!

Salad ingredients-
2 heads of hearts of romaine lettuce or 1 bag of hearts of romaine

2 c Monterey Jack cheese

1 c frozen young white corn

1 c black beans

4 green onions

2 ripe tomatoes

2 c tortilla strips

3 c chopped barbeque chicken (see recipe below)

Clean and shred lettuce. Chill. Dice tomatoes and onions, set aside. Combine frozen corn and black beans. Fold in Jack cheese and toss with lettuce, diced tomatoes and onions. Top with barbecue chicken and tortilla strips. Finish with Salsa Ranch dressing just before serving.

Barbecue Chicken Sauce ingredients-

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3 T mayo

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup barbeque sauce

3 c shredded cooked chicken

Mix together everything except chicken, then fold in chicken and chill.

Salsa Ranch Dressing ingredients-

1 cup milk

1 T vinegar

1 c mayo

1 pkg Ranch Dressing Mix

1 cup salsa

Combine vinegar with milk. Fold in mayo and dry ranch mix. Add salsa and chill.

tuscan chicken wraps

I was a little nervous about these, but tried them anyway, and they were so good. It was nice to have something a little different. They are very flavorful and probably pretty healthy, aside from the cheese. And the best part is that it didn't take much time to make.

2 chicken breasts, cut into ½ -inch strips
1 7-oz jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into 1 inch strips
2 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. basil
½ t. salt
½ t. pepper

4 greek pita flatbreads
fresh spinach leaves
grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 425. Toss the chicken, roasted peppers, 1 T of the oil, garlic, basil, salt and pepper together in a small casserole dish. Bake, uncovered just until the chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Leave the oven on to warm the pita.
Brush one side of each pita with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Heat them, oiled side down, directly on the oven racks until slightly crisp for about 1 minute. Add chicken mixture onto each pita, mozzarella, and spinach to taste. Fold in half or roll it up, and eat.

salsa verde tostadas

We made this for dinner tonight. It is so simple and easy to put together I am excited to have another great meal that I can throw together fairly quickly, put it with a fruit salad, and it makes a great, fresh, light summer meal. It was so good. My only frustration was that it was really hard for the kids to eat and they weren't too interested in it, so they eventually ended up with a tortilla with melted cheese. I got the recipe from here. I love her site and I don't think she has anything on her site that doesn't look good. I have a long list of her recipes I will be trying out.

*Plan Ahead: the recipe calls for cooked chicken. Also, the flavor of the chicken or pork intensifies as it marinates so you may want to plan an additional 2-3 hours for that (but it isn’t absolutely necessary).

4 flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken or pork
1 cup green salsa (salsa verde) plus more for serving
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the tortillas, bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together the chicken (or pork), salsa verde, 1/4 cup cilantro, beans, and cumin (this can marinate all day if you like). Spoon mixture evenly over the tortillas and bake until heated through about 8 minutes.

Top warm tostadas with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream and other toppings as desired. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve immediately with additional green salsa if desired.

{summer chicken tacos}

We tried this recipe for our fourth of July dinner and we loved it! I just did half the recipe and then marinaded just three of the larger chicken breasts you get from Costco and that was the perfect amount for us.

Combine the following ingredients to make your marinade:
1 Cup Fresh Lime Juice
1 Cup White Vinegar
1 Cup Canola Oil
1 Cup Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBL Salt
1 TBL Pepper
1 TBL Lawry's Season Salt
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 TBL Sesame Seed
1 Dash Onion Powder or Green Onions
Add your 8-12 Chicken Breasts and marinade 4 hours or overnight.
After grilling your chicken, cut it into small chunks or shred it. Serve on soft taco tortillas (we use the yummy kind from Costco you cook yourself) with lettuce, sour cream, cheese, homemade salsa, beans, rice, or anything you would like.

*recipe from here

{bacon wrapped teriyaki chicken skewers}

We made these this past weekend and we thought they were so good. We grilled them along with red potatoes sliced in half with red onion slices in the middle and grilled corn on the cob (both wrapped individually in foil). We also had a fruit salad on the side. It was so delicious and I definitely plan on making this same meal many times this summer.

{picture and recipe instructions from Our Best Bites}

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

About 8 oz. lean bacon (not thick-sliced)

1 large can pineapple chunks

Kikkoman Teriyaki Glaze (NOT MARINADE, the glaze is better)

Kebab skewers

The easiest way to handle the bacon situation is to remove it from the package and while it's still all stuck together, stretch it out a little (lengthwise). If you're using center-cut bacon (and the "slab" is not as wide as regular bacon), just cut it in half. Otherwise, use kitchen shears to cut the slab into thirds. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Using kitchen shears, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can gauge about how many pieces you'll need by how many pieces of bacon you have; you probably won't use all the bacon, but you'll need about 8 oz. or 2/3 of a standard-sized package of bacon. So count the bacon pieces and keep that in mind when cutting up your chicken.Drain the pineapple and set up a little work station with skewers, bacon, chicken, and a 9x13 baking dish (for big skewers) or a sturdy Ziploc bag (for toothpick skewers). Wrap a piece of bacon around a chicken piece, secure with toothpick/skewer, and top with a chunk of pineapple. Repeat twice if using large skewers.When all chicken pieces have been sufficiently staked, pour Teriyaki sauce over everything, reserving about 1/4 c., and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, no longer than about 8.

Preheat grill; when about 350-400 degrees, place skewers on grill and baste with reserved Teriyaki sauce. Cook about 7 minutes and flip skewers. Baste again and cook another 7 minutes.

*If serving at a party, you can keep the appetizer-sized skewers warm in a crockpot set to low or an electric roaster set to 170 degrees.

**If cooking in oven, preheat oven to 400 and bake about 20 minutes, turning once, following the same basting instructions.

{BBQ Pizza}

We tried this last night and it was so good. We had the leftovers today for lunch and it was still just as good. I found the recipe here. Her picture of her pizza will make you want to make it even more. I didn't read the recipe all the way through before I started on my chicken so I did it incorrectly. I boiled my chicken, shredded it, and then put it in the 2/3 cup of barbeque sauce for several hours. That worked just fine, too, so I guess you can decide which one works best for you.

1 pizza crust (try the recipe below if you need one)
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/3 cups barbeque sauce, divided
6 ounces Provolone cheese, grated
6 ounces Gouda cheese, grated
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In large Ziploc bag, combine chicken and 2/3 cup BBQ sauce then marinade in fridge 4 hours or overnight. To cook, place chicken and marinade in small baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Let chicken cool then slice into thin pieces. (Or do as I did above.)

Sprinkle half of the grated cheeses over crust. Spoon 2/3 cup BBQ sauce over cheese; cover with chicken and onion. Sprinkle on remaining cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 450 degrees. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. Makes 1 12-14 inch pizza.

Peanut Chicken

This is a recipe I modified greatly. I saw the concept on TV and made it my own.

Ingredients:

3-4lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1c. peanut butter (I prefer to use the chunky peanut butter)

2/3c. low sodium soy sauce

2 1/2Tbsp sugar

1 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 of a 14oz can of chicken stock

2large or 4med size oranges

Directions:

Cut up chicken into small pieces and place in a deep frying pan or a large pot. Zest the oranges and then squeeze the juice into the pot making sure any seeds don't fall in. Then combine with all of the ingredients and cook on med heat until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Or to make in Crockpot; add a whole 14oz can of chicken stock and combine all ingredients. Cook on low setting for 6hrs or high setting for 3-4hrs. Serve with rice or noodles.

Yields: approximately 4-6servings.

{honey mustard chicken}

It has been so nice here lately we decided to grill last night. I wasn't sure if I would like this recipe since I cannot stand mustard but I ended up loving it. It was really good and we wished we had made more.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
4 tbs mayo
2 tsp steak sauce

Mix mustard, honey, mayo, and steak sauce in bowl. Separate in half. Pour half of the mixture onto the chicken until chicken is nicely coated in sauce. Allow to sit in mixture for about 10-15 minutes and then place on grill. Occasionally put more of the sauce on the chicken as it is grilling.

{crockpot chicken enchiladas}

I found this recipe here. This is a favorite of ours and I love how easy it is to make. I almost always have these ingredients on hand.

6-8 flour tortillas
2-3 chicken breasts (cooked and cut up in bite size pieces)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can green chilies
1 c. sour cream
4-6 large handfuls grated Mexican blend cheese
optional add- ins: black beans, olives, enchilada sauce, salsa, whatever you wish

Spray a crock-pot with cooking spray and line with 2 flour tortillas so that the tortillas cover the sides and overlap on the bottom of the crock-pot. Next, mix the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and green chilies together and then layer that on top of the tortillas. Next layer chicken pieces, and then cheese. Add any extras you would like (beans, olives, etc.) into the layers. Follow with 2 tortillas overlapping on top. And then repeat your next layer. End with cheese. Add enchilada sauce here, if you choose to add that in. Cook in your crock-pot until cheese is melted, and tortillas are slightly crispy on the edges. Since your chicken has already been cooked, you can either cook on low for about 3 hours or high for about an hour or so. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

crockpot sweet salsa chicken

This basic recipe came from my friend Lisa. Then at ward enrichment they gave us a crockpot recipe for "nacho chicken" that was similar to Lisa's but used some extra ingredients (sans the sugar). I decided to combine the two - and oh how delicious!

Sweet Salsa Chicken
for tacos, enchiladas, nachos, or over rice

Basic:
4-5 frozen chicken breasts
1 (15oz) jar of salsa - pick your favorite; I like fresh mango salsa
1/2 + cup brown sugar

Extra:
1 can drained* black beans
1 can drained* whole kernel corn
1 (8oz) pkg of cream cheese
Place the frozen chicken breasts in bottom of crock pot.
Add black beans, corn, salsa, and brown sugar - dump on top of chicken.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until chicken is easily shredded.

After 4 hours, shred chicken. Stir mixture.
Add package of cream cheese (turn to low if the chicken is done) and let sit for 30 minutes.
Mix all together and enjoy.

* If you want the mixture to be thicker, drain the corn and black beans. The chicken will soak up the salsa and you'll have a thicker chicken mix that's good for tacos. If you'd like the mixture to be runnier for a type of sauce to pour over the rice, then only partially drain these and then add some extra salsa.

{sundried tomato pasta}

This recipe was so good and even our boys liked it. Brett and I both thought it tasted like something you would get at Macaroni Grill or Carraba's, but it was also really easy to make. A friend from work had a link on her blog to it on this blog.

6 cups cooked farfalle pasta
2 Tbs - 1/2 cup butter (as much or as little as you'd like--I used 1/4 c. and that was good)
3 cloves garlic, minced (I used the already minced garlic you find in the jar near the seasonings in the baking aisle, 1 tsp. of that = 1 clove minced)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut or shredded into bite-size pieces
Approx 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained* (the person I got the recipe from suggests putting them in a food processor with a little bit of milk instead of using them whole and I think I will do this next time, but this time I chopped them up as much as I could)
4 tablespoons grated Romano cheese (I used shredded parmesan cheese because that's what I had and that worked well)

First, start boiling chicken until cooked through, then shred when done. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook farfalle pasta until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan. Add garlic cloves and cook until garlic browns. Add the cream of chicken soup and milk, stirring until smooth. Stir in the dried parsley, salt, and pepper. Let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken pieces and hydrated sun dried tomatoes. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes. Mix in grated Romano cheese. Toss cooked and drained pasta with sauce.

{slow cooker chicken stroganoff}

I love crock pot meals. They seem to make my life so much easier at the craziest time of the day, so I get excited when I find one I like. I found this one on Allrecipes.com. I actually messed up this recipe by adding everything in the beginning (didn't read the instructions) and it turned out just fine. And I forgot I had planned to make this so I put it all together a little later in the day, turned it on high for a few hours and it turned out great.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed (I put mine in whole and shred it at the end)
1/8 cup margarine
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

Put chicken, margarine and dressing mix in slow cooker; mix together and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
Add cream cheese and soup, mix together and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm.

{garlic chicken farfalle}

1 box farfalle noodles
3-4 chicken breasts
Lawry's Mesquite w/ Lime marinade (in the bottle)
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
Sauce ingredients:
bacon (crumbled in bag)
1 c. whipping cream
1 T. pepper
1/2 c. butter
1 spoonful minced garlic (in jar)

Put chicken in crockpot with marinade on low all day (about 6-7 hours). Shred chicken. Cook noodles and drain. Whisk sauce ingredients over stove on low. Pour over pasta. Add chicken. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

We tried this for the first time today. I know I got it from someone at work but don't remember who. While I was making this I had a few questions and googled it. I found this recipe on Becky Higgin's website, which provided a little more information. She shares some great recipes too.

chicken salad sandwiches

I just realized that we already have a chicken salad recipe...but I will add this anyway since it's slightly different...hope that's okay!

I love chicken salad. I could eat it every day. I kind of just throw things together, so I don't have an exact amount of what I add, but here's my best guesstimate.

RECIPE FOR CHICKEN SALAD

2 cups chicken (or 2 cans chicken from costco; drained :)
4oz cream cheese (this is the secret ingredient! don't leave it out! add more if you want it creamier)
½+ cup mayonnaise (add more if you like)
1 cup pineapple tidbits (drained)
½ cup celery (chopped; optional...I never use since hubby hates it)
1 cup red or purple seedless grapes (sliced)
1/3 cup sliced almonds
salt & pepper to taste

Mix and let sit overnight
Serve on croissants or plain rolls.

chicken & vegetable casserole

1 box chicken stuffing mix
2-3 large chicken breasts
1 bag frozen veggies (I prefer broccoli & cauliflower, but I use whatever is in the freezer and have liked the casserole every time)
1 10-oz can cream of chicken soup
1-2 cups shredded cheese (depending on how much you like)

In a 9x13 pan, sprinkle a handful of dried stuffing mix along the bottom (optional).

Bake chicken, then cut in small strips or cubes.
I spray a 9x13 pan, then place frozen breasts in pan. Then I sprinkle with season salt. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes when frozen. If thawed, bake for about 30 minutes.

Once chicken is done, set oven to 350 for casserole.

Cook frozen veggies (usually I just microwave these). Don’t let them get mushy because they will also be baking in the casserole later.
Cook stuffing mix according to package directions.

Once all ingredients are cooked, mix the vegetables, cubed chicken, and cream of chicken soup in pan. Spread evenly along the bottom.
Cover the mixture with cooked stuffing.
Sprinkle cheese on top.
Cover with foil and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is hot.

I got this recipe from the back of the stuffing mix box. I have started reading chicken soup cans and other things for recipes and they are usually great! What I love about this recipe is you can use whatever veggies are in the freezer and it's always good.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

2-3 lbs of thawed and cooked/boiled chicken
1 Avacado cut up in chunks
2-3 stick of celery chopped up
1 tsp of salt
1 dash of pepper
Approx. 1/2 cup of mayonaise
1 Cup of purple or green seedless grapes {cut them in half}
2-3 tbls of chopped walnuts if you like

After cutting everything into chunkes and adding the salt and papper and mayonaise, mix well and serve how ever you like. I usually put it on crackers, bread and sometimes croissants.

Chicken a la King

This recipe is from my mother-in-law, Kristen. It's delicious and easy - perfect combo. It's also one of Trav's favorites, so I make it a lot. I don't have exact measurements because I modify it a little each time I make it. You really can't go wrong with it, just make to your taste.

You'll need:

2-3 large chicken breasts, baked & chopped or shredded
1 bag frozen peas & carrots, cooked
1 family size can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise (approximately; I use 2 large spoonfuls)
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
a dash of curry powder
2 boxes Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Shells (or crescent rolls, biscuits, etc)

Bake the chicken. I put it in a 9x13 pan, sprinkle season salt all over, cover with foil, and then bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes. When done, chop or shred.

While the chicken is baking, cook the peas and carrots. Don't cook them too long, because you'll be heating them up again in the sauce.

Once the chicken is done, bake the pastry shells according to box directions. The shells are our favorite, but really you can use any kind of pastry or roll that you like.

In a saucepan, heat and mix the cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, chicken,and peas & carrots.

Add a dash of curry powder. If you really like the flavor, add more. If you don't like curry, just add a tiny bit.

Add milk. If you want thicker sauce, add only a small amount. If you like runnier sauce, add a little more.

Add pepper to taste. Heat the sauce until creamy and hot.

Pour sauce over baked pastry shells and serve.

Makes enough for approximately 5 adults; I usually bake 2 pastry shells per adult.

Garlic & Herb Fried Chicken

What you will need:

3-4 pieces of thawed chichen ( you can use bone in or out and any part of the chicken you would
like would work as well to)
1/4 cup of Olive oil
1 Tbs of fresh chopped Garlic or Powder is fine to (if you use powered garlic only use 2 tsps)

Crisp and Creamy Baked Chicken

I got this recipe from the Simple Dinners recipe blog. I was a little skeptical at first, but we really enjoyed it. It was nice to have something different and it was really easy. I will make a couple changes next time. I will list those at the bottom.

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
6 Tbsp. (1/2 of 1 pouch) SHAKE 'N BAKE Extra Crispy Seasoned Coating Mix
2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
2/3 cup (1/2 of 10-3/4-oz. can) condensed cream of celery soup
1/4 cup milk
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar & Monterey Jack Cheese
-PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Coat chicken with shake n' bake mix as directed on package; place in greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Discard any remaining coating mix.-BAKE 20 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170°F). Meanwhile, cook rice as directed on package.-BEAT soup and milk with wire whisk until well blended. Pour evenly over chicken; sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Serve with the rice.

*Next time I will probably try cream of chicken soup instead. The celery soup wasn't bad, but I'm curious how different it would be. And I will make more of the soup/milk mixture because it didn't make enough to put over the rice, which made it a little dry. But this was still a good recipe!